Carbol-Xylene
Historical document, translated for reference. It reflects medical knowledge of the 1920s–30s and is not medical advice.
Summary
Carbol-xylene is a histological clearing mixture composed of molten carbolic acid and xylene in a 1:3 ratio, used for clearing paraffin and celloidin sections. It is unsuitable for sections stained with basic aniline dyes because it extracts the stain. This historical description is from the 1928–1936 Soviet Great Medical Encyclopedia.
Encyclopedia entry (1928–1936)
CARBOL-XYLENE, a mixture of carbolic acid and xylene; used in histological technique for clearing paraffin and celloidin sections. Preparation: crystalline carbolic acid is melted on a water bath or in a thermostat and mixed in a 1:3 ratio with xylene (Weigert). Application: stained sections are transferred from alcohol to carbol-xylene, and from it into pure xylene and then into balsam. Contraindications: carbol-xylene is unsuitable for sections stained with basic aniline dyes, since it extracts the latter from the section.
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“Carbol-Xylene.” Soviet Medical Encyclopedia. English translation of Bolshaya Meditsinskaya Entsiklopediya, 1st ed. (Moscow, 1928–1936), ed. N. A. Semashko. https://sovietmedicalencyclopedia.pages.dev/article/carbol-xylene/