RXMARINE CHEMICAL TAG::
WBC diluting fluid is used for perfoming the WBC count. Gentian violet slightly stains the nuclei of the leucocytes. The blood specimen is diluted 1:20 in a WBC pipette with the diluting fluid and the cells are counted under low power of the microscope by using a counting chamber.
White cells can be similarly diluted by taking 0.05 ml of blood into 0.95 ml of white cell diluting fluid (R2) (this gives a 1 in 200 dilution).
Normal saline should be used to make dilutions for total cell counts. Diluting fluids for WBC counts include: crystal violet/acetic acid. gentian violet/acetic acid.