Carbol Fuchsin Variants

Basic fuchsin – Mixture or 42510		New fuchsin – 42520
Night blue – 44085		Victoria blue R – 44040
Auramine O – 41000		Rhodamine B – 45170

Name	Dye		Phenol	Ethanol	Water	Other
Ziehl	Basic fuchsin	1 g	5 g	90%, 10 mL	100 mL
Albrecht	Basic fuchsin	4 g	8 g	95%, 20 mL	100 mL
Davalos	Basic fuchsin	10 g	5 g	Abs, 1 mL	100 mL
Goodpasture	Basic fuchsin	0.5 g	1 g	95%, 20 mL	80 mL	Aniline, 1 mL
Huntoon	Basic fuchsin	0.6 g	3.75 g		75 mL	Glycerol, 25 mL
Kinyoun	Basic fuchsin	4 g	8 mL	95%, 20 mL	100 mL	Molten phenol
Muller	Basic fuchsin	4 g	8 g	95%, 20 mL	100 mL	Tergotol 7, 0.1 mL
Pottenger	Basic fuchsin	1.6 g	5 g	95%, 15 mL	80 mL
Verhoeff	Basic fuchsin	2 g	25 mL	Abs, 50 mL		Molten phenol
Other Dyes
Fite	New fuchsin	0.5 g	5 g		90 mL	Methanol, 10 mL
Putt	New fuchsin	1 g	5 g		90 mL	Methanol, 10 mL
Tilden	New fuchsin	0.5 g	5 g		90 mL	Methanol, 10 mL
Lillie	Night blue	1 g	5 g	Abs, 10 mL	90 mL
Lillie	Victoria blue R	1 g	5 g	Abs, 10 mL	90 mL
Fluorescent
Kuper May	Auramine O Rhodamine B	1.5 g 0.75 g	10 mL	95%, 20 mL	50 mL	Glycerol, 75 mL. Molten phenol

 

Preparation
Different instructions have been given for compounding. Ziehl's solution is prepared according to instruction #1. Others specify instructions similar to #2. Verhoeff's follows #3.

1. Grind the dye with the phenol using a pestle and mortar. Add the ethanol in small amounts while grinding to dissolve the dye, collecting the dissolved dye each time. When all the dye is dissolved, add the water in several small amounts. Wash out the mortar each time and collect the washings. Filter before using.
2. Dissolve the dye in the ethanol and the phenol in the water. When both are dissolved, combine and mix well. Filter before use.
3. Combine all the ingredients. Place in a 60°C oven overnight. Cool and filter.

Phenol has a density of 1.07 grams per mL. Melting phenol and measuring volumetrically compared to simply weighing gives a difference of 7%. This is not likely to cause staining failures. As an example, Ziehl's formula requires 5 grams phenol, but if 5 mL is measured volumetrically the amount used would be 5.35 grams. In most cases this difference is likely insignificant. An exception would be Verhoeff's as 25 mL molten phenol equates to 26.75 grams.

Because of the high ethanol content an open flame should not be used with Verhoeff's solution.

 

Reference
Gray, Peter. (1954)
The Microtomist's Formulary and Guide. p.
Originally published by:– The Blakiston Co.
Republished by:– Robert E. Krieger Publishing Co.

Culling, C.F.A., Alison, R.T. and Barr, W.T. (1985)
Cellular Pathology Technique, 4th ed.
Butterworths, London, UK.

Putt, F.A., (1972)
Manual of histopathological staining methods
John Wiley & Sons, New York, NY, USA

Humason, G.L., (1967)
Animal Tissue Techniques
W.H. Freeman & Co., San Francisco, CA, USA

Lillie, R.D.,
Histopathologic Technic and Practical Histochemistry
McGraw-Hill, New York, USA

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