It is with temerity that I launch into an amplification of a Kiernan message
with something chemical (I have done that without pause in the past), but I
think that this brief addition (NOT a correction!) might be of interest to
all that are interested in this thread.

A look at a modern application that I found while looking for an external
and relevant reference to coacervation, which I recall (sans reference) is
what the Ca+2 does, in Lillie's formulation, after it drops its 2 -OAc's off
to tie up protons.

URL:  http://www.swri.edu/3pubs/ttoday/summer95/microeng.htm

Regards and soap to all,

Fred Monson
Quanta400-D7610-WCUPA
SS031, Schmucker II Science Center
West Chester University
West Chester, PA, 19383
Dr. Frederick C. Monson
Phone:  610-738-0437
eMail:  fmonson@wcupa.edu

----- Original Message -----
From: "J. A. Kiernan" 
To: "Miller, Yvette" 
Cc: 
Sent: Thursday, October 24, 2002 4:31 PM
Subject: Re: calcium formalin


> Formal-calcium is intended to increase the preservation
> of phospholipids, for subsequent demonstration in
> frozen sections or, following chromation, in paraffin
> sections. Lillie's formulation with calcium acetate is
> perfectly OK as a regular fixative for paraffin work.
> Wash it out with water, then you won't get insoluble calcium
> salts precipitating out in the solvents. (This should be
> less of a problem than with phosphate buffered formaldehyde
> because calcium acetate is soluble in alcohol, unlike the
> Na and K phosphates.)
> --
> -------------------------
> John A. Kiernan
> Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology
> The University of Western Ontario
> London,   Canada   N6A 5C1
>    kiernan@uwo.ca
>    http://publish.uwo.ca/~jkiernan/
>
>
> "Miller, Yvette" wrote:
> >
> >
> > Topic: calcium formalin
> > Has anyone ever used this as a fixative for fatty tissue? Will it clog
> your
> > processor ? Can it be used for processing tissue for paraffin
> embedding ?
> >
> > Local Animal Hospital,
> > Yvette, MA
>
> --
> -------------------------
> John A. Kiernan
> Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology
> The University of Western Ontario
> London,   Canada   N6A 5C1
>    kiernan@uwo.ca
>    http://publish.uwo.ca/~jkiernan/