This product is a solution of 2% w/v crystal violet and ammonium oxalate in reagent alcohol and water. This item should not be confused with gentian violet and cannot be used as an anti-fungal reagent. This product is a stain used in bacteriology to distinguish between gram positive and gram negative bacteria. Gram stain permits the separation of all bacteria into two large groups; those which retain the primary dye (gram-positive) and those that take the color of the counter stain (gram-negative). The primary dye is crystal violet and the secondary dye is usually safranin O, basic fuchsin or a combination of the two stains. Basic fuchsin improves anaerobe counter staining. There are many different formulations of crystal violet used. Some of the more common ones are grams crystal violet, Hucker’s crystal violet and 2% alcoholic crystal violet. This item is manufactured in the United States by Medical Chemical Corp.