Devehpment, &c., of the Fat-cell. By G. and F. E. Hor/gan. 379 



how, by the absorption of granules from diseased cells by wandering 

 cells, a specific disease might quickly become generalized throughout 



the system. 



One word more as to the behaviour of the exhausted fat-cells 

 not yet passed into granular exodus, when nutrition again becomes 

 abundant. If in the condition of the cells seen in Fig. 9, they 

 simply fill the already prepared mass of protoplasm with numerous 

 fat-globules, as seen in Fig. 5. But if the cells have become 

 granular, like those seen in Fig. 10, when about to break up, then 

 they still fill up, as in Fig. 5, only that m this case the fat-globules 

 seem imbedded among granules. Of this condition we show a 

 specimen. Fig. 11, which affords inverse proof of the connection 

 between granular cells and fat-cells. 



In terminating this long paper, we wish to observe that we do 

 not pretend to have completed this question of retrogression, but 

 rather to have only opened it out. Conscious of our many imper- 

 fections, we are jjrepared to find our conclusions modified or reversed 

 subsequently by others or by ourselves. We are also aware that 

 several collateral conditions remain to be investigated; such, for 

 example, as whether the supply or deprivation of water affects the 

 retrogression of the fat-cells in starvation, or whether gradual or 

 sudden deprivation of nutrition has the same result or efiect on the 

 fat-cells. These are points which would require to be settled by 

 direct experiment, if one has not the patience to wait for acci- 

 dental chcumstances. We have the patience to wait rather than 

 experiment, and when opportunity oflers and we find anything 

 new or anything incorrect, we shall not be so tardy in making it 

 known as we have been with this research, which has been spread 

 over an interval of above four years, but which we have endeavoured 

 to bring up to date.* 



While the foregoin": was passing through tlie press, two remaikahle communi- 

 cations were made on Maj' 6th and 20th to the Patliological Society. The first 

 of theie, " On the Occurrence of Micrococci undemeatii Antiseptic Dressings," by 

 Mr. Cheyne, a pupil of Mr. Lister, and supported by him, mainly concerned the 

 cultivation in vegetable infusion of micrococci from the matter obtained from 

 wounds tr(!ated antiseptically, while the second was the report of the Committee 

 on Pyemia, and was largely illustrated by microscopical specimens of tissue in 

 that. 



In the preceding pages we have spoken vaguely of the identity of the granules 

 we have described with many of the so-called specific organisms, because we 

 were aware that different people held different opinions as to what constituted 

 those supposed organisms. The high authorities who brought micrococci before 

 the Society, however, gave us a definite standard of comparison, and we now 

 assert with confidence that all those micrococci were nothing other than the 



* A short accoimt of this research with microscopical demonstrations was given 

 by Mrs. Hoggan before the Naturforscher Versammlung at Cassel in September, 

 ls78, and her remarks were published in cxtenso next day, on pp. .56 and 57 of 

 the ' Tagblatt.' 



