[C.I. 42535] Mixtures of tetra-, penta-, or pararosanilin that vary in shade of violet depending on the extent of methylation (designated R for reddish shades, B for bluish shades); the hexamethyl compound is known as crystal violet, the pentamenthyl compound as methyl violet 6B. methyl violet stains have many bacteriologic, histologic, and cytologic applications.
