The study of hematoxylin and eosin stained
thick sections (15 pm) of the primate retina with the phasecontrast
microscope provided a means for the selective
demonstration of many cellular structures that could not
be resolved with the same degree of detail which was
possible when bright-field microscopy was used, or when
phase-contrast microscopy was employed to examine
unstained material. The H & E-stain greatly enhanced the
phase-contrast image, so that cytoplasmic structure, fiber
trajectories, and gross synaptic detail of the retina could
be demonstrated to better advantage.