The cationic carbocyanine dyes Stains-all DBTC, and Ethyl-Stains-all, DBTC-3,3',9 triethyl

A simple method is presented for distinguishing two closely related metachromatic carbocyanine dyes: Ethyl-Stains-all, a triethyl dye, and Stains-all, a diethyl methyl dye. This has become important since one lot of the triethyl dye was distributed erroneously under the diethyl methyl label. The dyes differ in solubility and in differential staining of macromolecules. Studies performed with both dyes are summarized.