A Rapid Marchi Technic

Abstract

By varying the thickness of the nervous tissue immersed in chlorate-osmic-formalin staining fluid (Swank and Davenport, 1935) it was found that a section 1 mm. thick can be completely and adequately stained in 24 hours. Thicker sections require a proportionately longer time. The quality of the Marchi stain in the rapidly prepared section is as good as that in the material stained for 10 days although the background is slightly lighter in the latter preparations. This method can be used where time is an important element and is especially applicable to spinal cord, small animal brains, or portions of larger brains in which serial sections are not required.