Herrick-Coghill, Nerve Endings in the Skin. 45 



but to our surprise they seemed to stop short in the vast major- 

 ity of cases in the zone at the base of the layer of protoblasts, 

 while only in comparatively few cases did we trace connections 

 like those described by Bethe with cells of higher layers. In 

 the chromatophore zone just ectad of the corium in many parts 

 of the skin it was possible to trace fibers horizontally long dis- 

 tances and in some cases supposed communications with the 

 chromatophores or similar bodies were noted. (Fig. 21). In 

 most cases these cells were nearly destitute of pigment and pass 

 by all gradations into undoubted ganglion cells. 



In this connection mention should be made of the remark- 

 able results reported by Dr. W. Pfitzner.^ This writer claims 

 to trace the fibers after their passage through the corium into 

 the substance of the cells and to follow them to small knob-like 

 endings free in the protoplasm of the cells. More than this, 

 he traces to each cell, not only of the deeper layers but also of 

 the stratum corneum, two independent fibers from quite distinct 

 sources and founds upon this observation an elaborate hypothe- 

 sis, which unfortunately is deprived of all standing-room by the 

 evidence now at hand. Mr. Massie has pointed out that there 

 is a stage in the young amphibian skin when a curious skein of 

 a material staining deeply with some reagents is found in the 

 cells. The senior writer, who made the preparations used by 

 Mr. Massie, can vouch for the accuracy of this observation. It 

 is not unlikely that the suggestion is waranted that this skein is 

 an embryonic and transitory element in the development of 

 gland cells, as it is not found in all the cells but in a certain class 

 dispersed among narrower cells having a different reaction. 

 This skein (Fig. 4) is as certainly intracellular as the nerve fibers 

 are extracellular in their course. Figures almost identical with 

 those published by Pfitzner as the results of his observation can 

 be secured by his methods, especially if the sections are taken a 

 little oblique (Fig. 24.) The process serves to stain very dis- 

 tinctly the part of the nerve that is medullated, i. e. that part 

 extending through the corium, but not that part which extends 



^ Nervenengungen im Epithel. Morphol, Jahrbtich, 1S82, p. 726. 



