THE JOURNAIv OF PHARMACOLOGY. 



207 



hairs. From this the conclusion can easily be drawn that what is known 

 in commerce as sheep's wool consists of three different kinds of hairs, and 

 consequently will also differ very much microscopically. 



I. The product obtained from the Merino sheep and its allied species, as 

 Saxon, Electoral, Negretti sheep, also from the two English breeds, 

 Southdown and Hampshiredown sheep, consists of pure wool hairs (really 



sheep's wool). 



II. The sheep's wool obtained from the New Leicester breed consists of 



pure grannen hairs. 



Fig. I. Merino wool. Fine hair 

 Showing scales and fine striations. 



X 350- 



Fig. 2. Cultivated Merino, Ram- 

 bouillet Breed. Showing scales 

 and longitudinal striations. x 350. 



Fig. 3. English Ivcicester Wool. Gran- 

 nen hairs. A. Hairs with medullary 

 nodes, (/) and scales (^) /?. Hairs with 

 central cylinder. Epidermis scale-s are 

 somewhat concave. X 35o- 



III. The product obtained from the ordinary domestic breed (German 

 sheep, East European breeds, Australian, South American, etc.) consists 

 of a mixture of grannen and wool hairs. 



If we take into consideration that the wools of the numerous breeds, 

 even with a like structure, vary much microscopically, we can infer that 

 the microscopical characteristic of the so-called sheep's wool becomes dif- 

 ficult ; all the more so as several other kinds of hairs resemble certain 

 kinds of sheep's wool very much. Add to this the fact that the same 

 hair at certain or several places (base, middle, tip) is very different, then 

 the above difficulties will be increased. 



