Some studies on the vital staining of blood cells

Abstract

There are many papers on the vital staining of the blood cells but, considering the many papers of the conventional method used in the examination of the blood, one may say that the field of the vital staining is rather unexplored. It is surprising to find how few have actually studied living cells. Most of the work on vital staining is in reality supra vital, that is to say the living cells on taking up the stain died. I will mention of many investigators the names of Rosin and Biebergeil, Sabin and E. Cowdry. These writers observed cytoplasmic granules which took up certain dyes, while the cells containing them continued to live.

I have made a few comparative studies of the effect of certain vital dyes on the cytoplasmic granules in the white blood cell of man. To introduce the dye into a drop of blood diluted with Ringer's solution, I used the following method, which was suggested to me by Mr. Chambers: Coverslips were flooded with an aqueous solution of the dye, which was allowed to evaporate, leaving the dry dye evenly distributed on the coverslip. The drop of blood was placed on this coverslip and studied as a hanging drop, suspended in culture slides. The observations were made in a warm chamber.

Out of a dozen various dyes I have found the two following to be the best. They are both American made dyes. Janus Green from the Providence Chemical Laboratories and Cresylecht Violet from the National Aniline and Chemical Co. This American Janus Green is taken up very rapidly. During the first few seconds it colors the cytoplasm diffusely and gradually concentrates on the granules, which finally take up all of the stain, leaving the cytoplasm almost transparent.