A METHOD FOR DECOLORIZING AND STAINING BLOOD FILMS
Frank W. Lacy · JAMA · 1918
To the Editor: —Having to make and examine many blood films in the course of our routine work (1,163 in 1917) we found it somewhat of a problem to make Arneth and differential counts, study the morphology of the cells and look for malaria at the same time, with fair assurance that, if present, the malarial parasite could be found while counting and examining 100 or 200 white cells. Mr. G. E. Burke, C.E., F.R.M.S., who was my co-worker in the blood laboratory, discovered a quick method of decolorizing the unstained films, which, combined with my staining methods, gave us a specimen, in half of which the red cells had disappeared, but the leukocytes, platelets, nuclei, etc., were brought out sharply, and apparently improved in staining qualities; and the other half of which was as of an ordinary smear, and was used for studying the red cells. Our method gives