Medical Dictionary

Warthin-Starry stain

noun War·thin-Star·ry stain \ ˈwȯr-thən-ˈstär-ē- \

medical Definition of Warthin-Starry stain

: a silver nitrate stain used to show the presence of bacilli

Biographical Note for warthin-starry stain

Warthin, Aldred Scott (1866–1931), and Starry, Allen Chronister (1890–1973), American pathologists. Warthin served for many years as professor and director of the department of pathology at the University of Michigan. He was the author of several textbooks of pathology. He did research on tuberculosis of the placenta, the hemolymph nodes, lipemia, mustard gas poisoning, the aging process, and especially syphilis. In 1920 Warthin and Starry introduced a silver nitrate stain as a method for demonstrating spirochetes in tissues. Warthin is probably best remembered for his pioneering research on the heritability of cancer, sometimes being called “the father of cancer genetics.” By 1913 he had worked out the pedigrees of 29 cancer-susceptible families. He published his description of Warthin's tumor in 1929.