[Histonet] cochineal mentioned in comic strip

[Lee & Peggy Wenk]

Just for fun: Check to see if your Sunday comic section carries Jump Start. Check out today’s 10/23/11 strip.

Jump Start, a comic strip about a couple (policeman and nurse) and their kids, has the oldest girl wanting to be a cochineal insect for Halloween – which is where histology gets carmine dye for the mucicarmine stain.
http://www.gocomics.com/jumpstart/2011/10/23

If you want to read a fascinating book about the the role of carmine in the exploration of the America’s, enslaving the people of Central and South America, pirates stealing ships loaded with the dye, spying, politics, government and religion, and the “unions” of the dyeing industry back then – find or buy a copy of “A Perfect Red: Empire, Espionage, and the Quest for the Color of Desire” by Amy Butler Greenfield, 2006.

If you want a more abbreviated version, Anatech’s newsletter ”The Innovator” had an article about carmine in their Winter 2007 issue – all about the history, and about why the quality of Mucicarmine has gone downhill in the past few years. (And also towards the end of the newsletter - what Anatech has done to try to improve the quality of the carmine. The article includes promoting their version of mucicarmine, so just a head’s up – this is their newsletter to promote their products. But they do a great job at educating in general, too. So I enjoy reading and learning from their newsletters. Great photos of what stains SHOULD look like.)
http://www.anatechltdusa.com/Innovators/Innovator12_06.pdf

No – I don’t get any money talking about the comic strip, the book or Anatech. I just think it’s neat to read about the history of dyes. And really great to to read about cochineal in a Sunday comic strip!

Peggy A. Wenk, HTL(ASCP)SLS
Beaumont Hospital
Royal Oak, MI 48073

(The opinions expressed are my own.)