Vital staining of the cochlea in guinea pigs: A preliminary report

This method of investigation enables one to visualize the cochlea more easily as a three‐dimensional structure, which is difficult to do from conventional cross sections. The use of living animals and vital stains minimizes experimental artifacts resulting in structural distortions for which histological preparations are noted. In the course of these experiments, one structural peculiarity was found which, to our knowledge, has not been noted before: the inner hair cells (at least within the region of the fourth and fifth turn of the guinea pig), are slightly slanted toward the cochlear apex; furthermore, in the region of the Hensen's cells, Methylene blue produced intensely stained and irregularly shaped “blobs” with medially extending feather‐like appendages. These are located at some distance from each other. If these bodies are selected Hensen's cells (as they appear to be), it is not understood at this time why some take Methylene blue intensely, while their neighbors do not.