Yep. Bruce

		-----Original Message-----
		From:	Weems, Joyce [mailto:JWEEMS@sjha.org]
		Sent:	Friday, November 30, 2001 5:25 AM
		To:	'Bruce Gapinski'
		Subject:	RE: Alcian blue for marking margins

		Get this at the grocery?
		Joyce Weems
		Pathology Manager
		Saint Joseph's Hospital of Atlanta


			-----Original Message-----
			From:	Bruce Gapinski
[SMTP:BGapinski@pathgroup.com]
			Sent:	Thursday, November 29, 2001 2:44 PM
			To:	'Aidan Schurr'
			Cc:	'HistoNet@Pathology.swmed.edu'
			Subject:	RE: Alcian blue for marking margins

			Save time & $. Use Mrs. Stewerts liquid bluing. I've
been using it
		for
			years. Bruce Gapinski HT(ASCP)

					-----Original Message-----
					From:	Aidan Schurr
[mailto:Aidan.Schurr@hvh.co.nz]
					Sent:	Thursday, November 29, 2001
11:16 AM
					To:
histonet@pathology.swmed.edu;
			office@rshhis.demon.co.uk
					Subject:	Re: Alcian blue for
marking margins

					Jim,

					Went through this same dilemma about
a year ago.
		Have you
			tried different "indian" inks?  I quickly discovered
that all so
		called
			indian inks are definitely not created equal...  I
had to trial
		about a
			dozen or so before finding a suitable one.  The ink
currently used
		is
			(unfortunately for you, fortunately for us)
manufactured here in New
			Zealand, and goes onto wet or dry, fixed or fresh
tissue with little
		mess.
			Once on it stays there.  Really good microscopic
marking - obvious
		layer, no
			'weak' spots, no 'bacteria-like' granules at high
power.  Best of
		all it
			costs about $30NZ for a litre (that's about 10
pounds, or $15US [per
		*liter*
			for you guys!!]).  We also have a couple of other
inks designed for
			technical drawing pens (as an architect would use)
made by "Rotring"
		(should
			be available virtually anywhere).  We use their Blue
and Green,
		which we
			find have similar characteristics to the black, but
are more
		expensive.

					Best of luck
					Aidan

					__

					aidan schurr  b.m.l.sc
					section head, histology
					hutt valley district health board
					lower hutt
					new zealand

					aidan.schurr@hvh.co.nz
					++64 4 570 9173

					>>> RSH Histology

		30/11/2001 >>>
					With difficulties in obtaining
adequate quality (and
			affordable) Alcian blue
					8GX in the UK, a problem I suspect
encountered
		elsewhere, I
			would be
					interested to hear of alternative
dyes/methods in
		use.
			Indian ink has not
					proved to be
					"consultant friendly" and commercial
"margin kits"
		have not
			proved
					processing and staining "fast" here.
Any suggestions
		-
			useful alternative
					dyes etc gratefully
					recieved!
					Good quality Alcian blue 8GX is our
gold standard
		(clean in
			use, easy to
					paint/dip, perfect for microscopy
with H&E) but it's
			disappearing fast!

					Jim Almond
					Head BMS
					Royal Shrewsbury Hospital
					UK