Silver stains in the study of endocrine cells of the gut and pancreas.

The usefulness of argentaffin (Masson) and argyrophil (Davenport, Sevier-Munger and Grimelius) staining methods for identification of endocrine cell types in the gastrointestinal tract and pancreas is discussed and comments are made on the techniques themselves. The applicability of silver impregnation methods in the histopathological investigations of endocrine tumours in the above-mentioned organs is outlined, and the chemical background of the silver reactions is briefly reviewed.