134 ON THE CORPUS LUTEUM. 



And such a supposition lino's abundant support in the analogy of the organs; as in the 

 periostial and medullary membranes of bones, for example; which, under certain circum- 

 stances, are known to alternate their functional force; the medullary membrane coming 

 to be a depositer of phosphate of lime, instead of a remover; and the periosteum a remover, 

 instead of being a depositer of phosphate, which is its normal office. This mutation of 

 powers, as to the membranes of bone, has so clearly been described by M. Flourens, in 

 his admirable paper on the production of bone and teeth, in the Annales du Museum, that 

 it needs no comment. 



But I am far from claiming this illustration for my view of the case; strong as I might 

 deem it to be. It suffices for me to know, that vitellary matter is germinal matter, 

 germinal cytoblastcm; and that the business of an ovary is to produce it, which nothing 

 else in nature can do. 



As to the microscopic results at which I have arrived, I have nothing more to do than 

 present them to the micrographers; and I should feel most happy if these remarks, meeting 

 the eyes of Dr. Bischofl", or my kind friend, Dr. Pouchet, those gentlemen should deem 

 them worthy of their attention, and confirmation or refutation. If they prove to be 

 unfounded, I wish them to be confuted by better observers than I am. 



As to some other points of resemblance, I have now to observe, that boiled corpus 

 luteum becomes hardened, like yelk boiled hard. It is, in like manner, friable and granu- 

 lar, leaving a yellow stain on paper, like the stain from boiled yelk. 



Dr. Thomas Schwann found it evidently coagulated, granular, and friable, upon being 

 boiled. 



In order to ascertain its odour, I threw a portion of corpus luteum on a live coal; — it 

 nave out a strong odour of roasted eggs. 



Are the granules and corpuscles of the corpus luteum cytoblasts and cells? 



I have not been able so clearly to make out their nuclei, as to speak positively — I sup- 

 pose them to be so. But Schwann, himself, who in one place seems to regard the nucleus 

 as a sine qua non in cell-life, says, at page 204, of that most admirable and extraordinary 

 volume, the Microscopische Untersuchungen: 



Die kernloser zellen, oder richtiger ausgedruckt, die zellen, in denen bisjetzt noch keine 

 kerne beobachtet werden sind, kommen nur bei niederen pflanzen vor, und sind audi bei 

 Thicren selten. And he cites, as examples of the non-nucleated cell, the young cells 

 within the old cells of the chorda dorsalis, the cells of the yelk of the bird's egg, &c, &c. 



Be the non-nucleated vesicle a cell or not, it is very certain that the milk corpuscle, 

 nnd. probably, the chyle corpuscle, is of that nature, — and no one can contemplate the 

 amazing reproductive power of a cell or spore of the saccharomyces cerevisiae, without 

 admitting for it all the properties of the cell-force. It is to the last degree reproductive, 

 as are also many of the filiform fungi, the muscardine, &c. 



The question, at last, is whether I have made a discovery interesting to the physiolo- 

 gist, the practitioner, and the jurisconsult. 



If I am right in my opinions, it must be interesting. 



As a resume, I say that my views are based upon the facts that. — 



