USE OF ZINC FORMALIN AS A SENSITIZER IN SILVER STAINS FOR SPIROCHETES

Uranyl nitrate has been utilized as a sensitizer in silver stains form ulated to detect spirochetes since the inception of these methods, eve n though many other aspects of these techniques have been changed over time. We have substituted zinc formalin for uranyl nitrate in both th e Warthin-Starry and modified Steiner techniques. The resulting spiroc hete staining is as good or better than when uranyl nitrate is used.