Modification of the Marchi Technic

The formula proposed by Swank and Davenport (1935) was modified and applied to human and macaque nervous material. Three groups of experiments were performed and the following observations were made. (1) Diluting the osmic acid component, without altering the relative concentration of the other constituents of the solution resulted in practically no staining of the degenerated fibers. (2) When all constituents of the staining solution were used in much lower concentration than previously suggested, enhancement of staining of the degenerating fibers occurred and the different structures of the normal tissue were more easily identified. (3) At low concentrations of osmic acid and potassium chlorate, the contrast was diminished and artifacts produced by increasing the concentration of acetic acid or formalin or both. The new formula, based on the present results, consists of osmic acid, 0.5%, 11 ml.; potassium chlorate, 1%, 16 ml.; formalin (cone), 3 ml.; acetic acid, 10%, 3 ml.; and distilled water to make 100 ml. (All solutions are aqueous). Good staining after a long period of fixation in formalin, following degeneration of 8-80 days, was obtained and the cost of staining solution greatly reduced.