Literary Notices. xxix 



produce the contractions of the chromatophore, causing the change 

 of color. Girod, however, considers the fibres to be of connective 

 nature, motion being produced by the pigment cell itself. The au- 

 thor decides for the muscular character. During the contraction of 

 the cell the fibres are thinner than during the expansion stage. The 

 nuclei of the radial fibres, which lie adjacent to the pigment cell 

 assume an elongate radial position during contraction of the pigment 

 cell. In the extreme expansion stage the nuclei become tangential, 

 in intermediate stages the form is globular. 



The radial fibres receive no nerves. Joubin has traced nerves to 

 the chromatophores by means of methyl blue intra vitatn. The chro- 

 matophores seem to function only for a certain length of time and 

 then degenerate and are substituted for by new ones. 



According to our author the nerve fibre fuses directly with the 

 chromatophore without the formation of any sort of end-organ. The 

 nervous connection takes places after the young chromatophore has 

 partially developed. It will be seen from the above that either these 

 chromatophores differ toto coelo from those of vertebrates (this Journal, 

 Dec, 1893, P- cnx ) or tne present study needs revision. 



Annual of the Universal Medical Sciences. 1 



The sixth issue of this standard and well-nigh indispensable aid 

 to the busy physician, surpasses in excellence its predecessors. It has 

 been enlarged, broadened in scope and improved in other ways. The 

 editor, who is now residing in Paris, is in a position to come more 

 closely in touch with current progress on the Continent, without how- 

 ever losing anything in the thoroughness with which American topics 

 are treated. The list of foreign associates has been greatly enlarged, 

 and the subscribers are to be congratulated on the great improvement 

 noticeable in these departments. Some of the more important articles 

 on the Nervous System only can be mentioned. " Diseases of the 

 Brain," by Dr. Landon Carter Gray, of New York, "Diseases of the 

 Spinal Cord," by Dr. H. Obersteiner, of Vienna, " Peripheral Nerv- 

 ous Diseases, Muscular Distrophies, and General Neuroses," by Drs. 

 Bourneville and Sollier, of Paris, "Mental Diseases." by Dr. Geo. 

 H. Rohe, Catonsville, Md. , "Inebriety, Morphinism and Kindred 

 Diseases," by Dr. Norman Kerr, London, " Surgery of the Brain, 



Charles E. Sajous, Editor-in-Chief. Published by the F. A. Davis Co., 

 Philadelphia. 



