We ordered our last bottle from Sigma Catalogue # M7011 (labelled as Mercury dibromofluorescein disodium salt), but couldn't tell you if they still supply it.

We are also trying to get rid of the Mercurochrome in our lab, and did try out the hematoxylin idea here.  Be darned if it didn't work!  Both of our commercial prepared Harris and Gill III hematoxylin remained through processing identifying our cut side down.

Kathy Johnston
Tech II Special Stains
Anatomic Pathology
Calgary Laboratory Services
#9 - 3535 Research Road NW
Calgary, AB.
403-770-3572


-----Original Message-----
From: histonet-bounces@lists.utsouthwestern.edu
[mailto:histonet-bounces@lists.utsouthwestern.edu]On Behalf Of
RSRICHMOND@aol.com
Sent: October 26, 2006 5:01 PM
To: histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu
Subject: [Histonet] Re: nuclear fast red


I've never seen nuclear fast red - or hematoxylin - used for this purpose.=20
The strong eosin sounds like a great idea.

Somebody mentioned Mercurochrome (merbromin), a dye chemically related to=20
eosin but containing 26% mercury. I've seen it used to mark small specimens. 
Mercurochrome used to be daubed on small cuts on small children by anxious=20
mothers. The FDA banned it in 1999, and it's no longer available anywhere.

Several years ago I posted a note on the subject on Histonet (Google 
mercurochrome richmond to find it), and this post resulted in my becoming THE 
authority on Mercurochrome for the entire Web. About once a month I get an e-mail from 
somebody railing against the US government for interfering with the freedom=20
of American citizens to expose their children to potentially toxic levels of 
mercury.

One fellow wanted Mercurochrome to surreptitiously dye stray yellow feathers 
on red canaries. It seems that his father was a major league canary breeder, 
and had run out of his supply. In replying I asked him if he knew that Martha 
Stewart was seriously into canaries, even resorting to shoveling her own canary 
poop now that she's down to her last half billion. He replied that his father 
was THE Official Purveyor of Canaries to said domestic goddess.

You read it on Histonet. And no, I don't know where to get Mercurochrome.

Bob Richmond
Samurai Pathologist
Knoxville TN
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