THE CHEMISTRY OF THE ACID-FAST REACTION

Abstract
The action of phenol on the bacillus and its effect on the dye in solution were investigated. Many other compounds can replace phenol in the stain; neither protein denaturation nor capsular disruption is the primary role of the phenol; phenol and fuchsin do not exist in chemical combination in solution; no specific chemical role can be assigned to phenol in the stain; and the phenol behaves primarily by decreasing the solubility of fuchsin in water and increasing its solubility in the lipids of the bacillus. Support to the theory of acid-fastness proposed by Lamanna is presented.

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