The demonstration of bacterial capsules by Fontana's staining procedure.

It has been discovered that, in addition to bacterial cells being stained a very dark brown or black color by Fontana's procedure, bacterial capsules are differentially stained a light brown color. Fontana (Dermatol. Wochschr., 55, 1003, 1912 and Pathologica, Genova, 4, 582, 1912) described a method for staining Treponema pallidum and other spirochetes by the AgNO3NH40H method. A similar procedure was described by Tribondeau (Bull. soc. franc. dermatol. syphilig., 23, 474, 1912). The desirable features of both procedures appear to