You say even in a fume hood you get vapors from this procedure???  On my
fume hood, the baffle has a setting for different vapors --- vapors lighter
than air and those heavier than air.  Check your fume hood to see if you
can adjust the baffle.  If so, I would try the heavier than air setting for
CuSO4.  I use my fume hood for all sorts of stinky things and I never get
so much as a whiff of vapors coming from the hood.

Just a thought :-)

Connie McManus


At 12:54 PM 9/5/01 -0230, J. Foote wrote:
>
>Hi,
>
>I have been asked to prepare and stain the grey matter of 4 mm slices of 
>brain for macroscopic study in a neuroscience course that will be taught 
>this semester.  The method I have is a variation on a Mulligan stain that 
>was published by Roberts and Hanaway in Stain Technology 44(3).  This 
>method has been used for the last thirty years with good results, but the 
>down side of the procedure is the production of strong vapors.  The method 
>requires CuSO4-phenol mixture followed by quick wash in potassium 
>ferrocyanide.  I have been told even with full safety measures taken (i.e.. 
>use of gowns, respirators, double layer of gloves and the use of fume 
>hoods) it is still an unpleasant procedure. So, I was wondering does anyone 
>on this list have any experience staining whole brain slices and if they 
>do, can they suggest other methods that might not be as unpleasant.  I look 
>forward to any suggestions you might have.
>
>J. Foote
>
>J. Foote
>Histology Unit
>Medical School Laboratories
>Faculty of Medicine
>Memorial University of Newfoundland
>St. John's, Newfoundland
>
>
>
>

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