On a new method of examining normal and diseased tissues by means of Intra-vitam staining

Abstract The older methods of vital staining, such as the methyl-blue stain for nerve fibres, neutral-red stains for glandular cells, and others, were limited in their use to the differentiation of specific tissues. Ribbert was the first to attempt a vital stain of the whole body by intravenous injections of carmine solutions. The results achieved by this method in normal (Ribbert, Schlecht) and pathological tissues (Pari) were not certain enough to permit of its general use in histological practice. A new departure in the field of vital staining resulted from the attempts to cure trypanosome and other infectious diseases of the blood through the agency of aniline dyes, such as trypan-red and trypan-blue. Bouffard, of the Pasteur Institute, investigated the cellular conditions following upon the injection of trypan-blue. Without previous knowledge of his work I undertook an extensive study of normal mice and rats, injected with trypan-, isamin-, and pyrrhol-blue solutions. The substance of this research was published in 1909 in a paper, “Äussere und innere Sekretion des gesunden und kranken Organismus im Lichte der vitalen Färbung, Teil I." Since then I have improved the method, searched for new staining media, and have finally applied the vital stain for purposes of comparative histological and pathological research.