Leishmans stain is used for the microscopic examination of peripheral blood smears to identify and differentiate blood cells and to detect blood parasites such as Plasmodium.

The main purpose of Leishmans stain is to provide clear differentiation of the nuclei cytoplasm and granules of blood cells making their morphology easier to study under a microscope.

Leishmans stain is a Romanowsky-type stain containing eosin and methylene blue derivatives. It stains the nuclei blue to purple the cyoplasm varying shades of blue and erythrocytes pink to reddish allowing different blood cells and certain parasites to be distinguished.