Silver in photographic negatives and prints can be removed
(dissolved) with "Farmer's Reducer" from Kodak. This is a mixture of
potassium ferricyanide and sodium thiosulfate (potassium persulfate and
sulfuric acid mixtures also work). The recipe is simple (there are
several variations) and might be on Kodak's website or one of the many
photochemistry websites or in even the most basic book on the chemistry
of photography in the public library. A camera store that serves
professional photographers might have it in stock. It is inexpensive.
    I suppose it would work for tissue but I don't know what it would do
the the stain if present or the stain-ability of unstained tissue. Since
the reaction is actually an oxidation, I suspect existing stains woudl
be bleached and the affinity of unstained tissue would be increased.

"Coulter, Diane" wrote:

> Does anyone know if it's possible to decolorize silver in tissue?
> Diane Coulter, RIH Histology

Geoff
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Geoff McAuliffe, Ph.D.
Neuroscience and Cell Biology
Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
675 Hoes Lane, Piscataway, NJ 08854
voice: (732)-235-4583; fax: -4029
mcauliff@umdnj.edu
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