SPECIES IDENTITY OF NUCLEUS-PLASMA NORM 463 



of any removes it from the resting class and marks the beginning 

 hyperchromatism of early activity. The extra-nuclear chroma- 

 tin, the Nissl substance, is uniformly distributed in the manner 

 described in such detail by Nissl, usually also prominently with- 

 in the dendrite. However, it must be emphasized that the 

 amount of chromatin — and this applies also to the nucleolar 

 substance — is variable and depends on the individual within 

 limits that do not encroach on the frank hyperchromatism of 

 early or the hypochromatism of later activity. The first thing 

 in analyzing cell states is to make a survey to determine the 

 standard of chromatin, at the least whether it inclines to an ex- 

 cess or a deficiency. This individual standard will run through- 

 out the functional range. Again, in the resting cell's plasma 

 •there is the total absence of functional edema or vacuolation, 

 but instead the plasma has a solidity of look and elects a deeper 

 stain than the active stages outside of hyperchromatism itself, 

 which has this more compact appearance of the '^unstainable" 

 substance intensified where the excess of chromatin does not 

 obscure it. In short, the resting cell has throughout a look of 

 preparedness. 



Finally, the complex of absolute size and relative size of 

 nucleus to plasma in the resting cell are sufficiently individual 

 so that after experience from measuring one can recognize it 

 from that alone amid the range of shifting sizes when it is modified 

 by functional depression. 



This detail has been given to show that the objective diagnosis 

 of the resting cell is easy, after experience unmistakable from 

 the time of the disappearance of any vestige of the embryonic 

 state through its prime and maturity. Difficulty is found only 

 at the transition point from the embryonic condition and with 

 the onset'of its old age — and its old age does not necessarily mean 

 the old age of the animal (DoUey '11 a). In the former case, 

 distinct stages of activity are superimposed before the nucleolar 

 substance has accumulated to its full growth — its lack being an 

 embryonic characteristic. Hence the undeveloped resting cell 

 has a nucleus closely resembling the transition from the Hodge 

 stage to nuclear hypertrophy (nuclear edema, late Hodge stage, 



