Abelardo Gallego (1879–1930) and his contributions to histotechnology: The Gallego stains

Abstract

The Gallego general tissue stain is used in histology and histopathology and stains beautifully connective tissue, in which all nuclei are stained in magenta red, epithelial cytoplasm in red–yellow, connective tissue is stained in brilliant green, muscle in olive green, and keratinized epithelium and blood in grass green. There is also Gallego's method for differential staining of elastic tissue that enables a complete differentiation between elastic and collagenous connective tissue. The elastic tissue is stained in brilliant fuschin red, while collagen is stained in brilliant green. Abelardo Gallego was born in Spain on September 10, 1879. He was appointed as professor of Pharmacology and Therapeutics at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain, and in 1921 became full-time professor of Histology and Pathology in Madrid supported by Ramón y Cajal. Gallego conducted extensive research into veterinary pathology. Don Abelardo was a quiet, reserved, but friendly, sensitive, optimistic and persistent person. Weakened by a bout of bronchitis, Gallego died aged 51 on February 3, 1930, and was buried at the Almudena Cemetery, in Madrid. Gallego was one of the most outstanding scientists of Spanish veterinary medicine and some of his achievements are reviewed.