--snip snip--
It would be difficult to find control material of human origin. Wilson's 
disease is rare, and the patient has usually (though not aways) been treated

to remove the copper. Perhaps a recipient liver from a transplant for
primary 
biliary cirrhosis would contain enough copper to be stainable, and would 
provide abundant control material.

I recall reading a good many years ago that positive control material can be

prepared by feeding a rat chow laced with 0.5% copper acetate for six
months, 
and staining sections of the liver. If the rat survives the experience till 
the fatal day.

Bob Richmond
Samurai Pathologist
Knoxville TN

Additionally some lines of Bedlington(sp?) terriers have a copper storage
disease similar to Wilson's disease in humans. A veterinary college might be
able to provide control blocks. Several years ago when I worked at the
University of Georgia, College of Veterinary Medicine, we used to save all
the liver we could get from such cases and then used it ourselves for
control as well as sending it out to other labs including the then active
CDC Tissue Control Bank which sadly is no longer active.

John E. Tarpley 5-1-A
Associate Scientist
Amgen Inc.
One Amgen Center Drive
Thousand Oaks, CA 91320 
These Opinions are my own and not necessarily those of my employer.