A consideration of substitutes for alum hematoxylin in routine histologic and cytologic diagnostic procedures.

Four dyes, gallein, gallocyanin, celestin blue B and anthracene blue SWR, were tested in metachrome combinations with aluminum, chromic, and ferric salts for their suitability to replace alum hematoxylin in routine diagnostic preparations. Of these, the iron alum lake of celestin blue B proved the most suitable, furnishing preparations not readily distinguished from usual hematoxylin and eosin stains. In the Papanicolaou method iron alum celestin blue gives a good 1–2-min. nuclear stain with very little effect on cytoplasmic coloration.