174 ALBERT KUNTZ 



classification is accepted by Miiller ('12), recognizes three dis- 

 tinct types. Dogiel and Michailow both recognize a greater 

 diversity of sympathetic neurones, the latter ('11) claiming to be 

 able to recognize as many as nine distinct types. 



In general it may be said that the neurones in the ^•arious 

 parts of the sympathetic nervous system show certain distinc- 

 tive histological characters. Miiller ('12) expressed the opinion, 

 however, that all sympathetic neurones are fundamentally of 

 the same morphological type, but differ somewhat in the struc- 

 ture and disposition of their dendrites according to the demands 

 of the functions of the organs innerv^ated by them. To quote: 

 " Zusammenf asserid glaube ich annehmen zu diirfen dass schlies- 

 lich der Grundtypus aller Zellen des vegetativen Nerven- 

 systems derselbe ist, dass sich aber die Zellen beziehungsweise 

 ihre Dendriten unter den verschiedenen Anspriichen welche die 

 Function des betreffenden Organs an sie stellt, verschieden 

 gestalten. " This opinion is of interest in view of the fact that, 

 as pointed out by the writer in an earlier paper ('10), all sympa- 

 thetic neurones arise from cells which are the descendants of 

 the 'germinal' cells (Keimzellen) of His, that is, they all have 

 a common origin. 



The myenteric and the submucous plexuses with their com- 

 ponent elements were described by Cajal as early as 1893. By 

 the use of his own modification of the Golgi method, he was 

 able to determine that all the neurones in these plexuses are 

 multipolar and that the fibers are of the non-medullated variety. 

 He believed, however, that all the protoplasmic processes of these 

 neurones are essentially axones. 



Cajal's observations were substantially corroborated by the 

 work of Kolliker ('94) who suggested, furthermore, that these mul- 

 tipolar neurones might provide the apparatus for local reflexes. He 

 says: ''So konnten beispielsweise Zellen des Meissner'schen Ge- 

 flechts mit oberfliichlichen Auslaufern in den Darmzotten gewisse 

 Erregungen aufnehmen und mit andern Auslaufern auf die 

 Muskelfasern der Zotten oder der Muscularis mucosa einwirken. 

 In einem solchen einfachsten Falle wiirde schon eine einfache 

 multipolare Zelle einen volstandigen Reflexapparat darstellen." 



