[Histonet] Re: GRAM Stain Timing Question

[RSRICHMOND <@t> aol.com]

The Gram stain is named for Hans Christian Gram (Danish, like the 
storyteller), 1853-1938, published 1884. There are several adaptations for tissue 
sections, perhaps Brown-Brenn and Brown-Hopps being the best known.

The Gram stain is useful for smears, much less so for tissue sections, and 
its use by pathologists should be discouraged. If you want to look for or count 
bacteria in tissue sections, a simple Giemsa (or Diff-Quik II, or toluidine 
blue) stain is much to be preferred.

Acetone decolorization is much more rapid that alcohol decolorization. 

Bob Richmond
Samurai Pathologist
Knoxville TN


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