Crystal violet is a triarylmethane dye. The dye is used as a histological stain and in Gram's method of classifying bacteria. Crystal violet has antibacterial, antifungal, and anthelmintic properties and was formerly important as a topical antiseptic. The medical use of the dye has been largely superseded by more modern drugs, although it is still listed by the World Health Organization. The name "gentian violet" was originally used for a mixture of methyl pararosaniline dyes (methyl violet) but is now often considered a synonym for crystal violet. The name refers to its colour, being like that of the petals of a gentian flower; it is not made from gentians or from violets. Crystal violet is not used as a textile dye. Instead it is used to dye paper and as a component of navy blue and black inks for printing, ball-point pens and ink-jet printers. It is also used to colourize diverse products such as fertilizers, anti-freezes, detergents, and leather jackets.
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