[Histonet] "formol"

[Rene J Buesa]

"Formol" was an early German designation for the 37-40% aq. sol. of methanal ("formaldehyde") used, as I wrote early, by all histopathology labs in Spain and Hispano America.
The BRAND NAME of a German manufacturer for that same 37-40% formaldehyde solution was "FORMALIN" and that was the name adopted in the USA and most other countries.
I wonder how "formalin" is called in France.
In Italy I think it is also "formol".
It would be interesting to get feed back from colleagues as to how "formalin" is called in their countries.
It is always nice to find learn something new!
René J.

--- On Sat, 10/8/11, Gudrun Lang <gu.lang <@t> gmx.at> wrote:


From: Gudrun Lang <gu.lang <@t> gmx.at>
Subject: AW: [Histonet] "formol"
To: "'Rene J Buesa'" <rjbuesa <@t> yahoo.com>
Cc: histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
Date: Saturday, October 8, 2011, 5:01 AM









Since each nation has its own characteristics, it’s likely that Spanish speaking countries and others use „formol“. In Austria I hardly hear “formol” for formalin or formaldehyd, refering to the chemical. But there are distributors, that sell formaldehyd under the brandname Formol.
“Formalin” itself isn’t a really chemical correct name, but a proper name introduced somewhere, isn’t it?
 
I think there is a North-South, East-West gradient in relation to the use of romanic languages in Europe . Perhaps someone can make a master thesis about this.
;-)
As long as we speak about the same stuff, it doesn’t matter…
 
Best regards
Gudrun
 
 




Von: Rene J Buesa [mailto:rjbuesa <@t> yahoo.com] 
Gesendet: Donnerstag, 06. Oktober 2011 23:02
An: histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu; gu.lang <@t> gmx.at ; SaraBreeden
Betreff: RE: [Histonet] "formol"
 





Formal is what Dr. Lilklie says, FORMOL is methanal (HCHO). 

The name started in Germany in 1891 as the trade name for the 37-40% aq. sol. of methanal or formaldehyde. It was adopted in Spain and all Hispano American countries after Dr. Santiago Ramón y Cajal (Nobel Proze in Medicine along with Golgi) when he translated his silver methods to German.

Please refer to:

Fox, Johnson, Whiting and Roller (1985): Formaldehyde fixation. J.Histochem.Cytochem; 33(8):845-853

René J.

--- On Thu, 10/6/11, Breeden, Sara <sbreeden <@t> nmda.nmsu.edu> wrote:


From: Breeden, Sara <sbreeden <@t> nmda.nmsu.edu>
Subject: RE: [Histonet] "formol"
To: "Rene J Buesa" <rjbuesa <@t> yahoo.com>, histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu, gu.lang <@t> gmx.at
Date: Thursday, October 6, 2011, 4:18 PM

Not to put too fine a point on this interesting discussion (or "lecture
series", as it were), I add a little quote from R.D. Lillie,
Histopathologic Technic and Practical Histochemistry, 3rd ed, 1965: "The
word 'formal' [sic], sometimes erroneously used as a synonym, refers
properly to quite another substance, CH3O-Ch2-OCH3, dimethoxymethane."

It matters not  and I'm not even quite sure why I decided to take up the
fight -  what was the question???