229 



pretatiou, then the term exoplasm, proposed by Gariaefp, is mislead- 

 ing, because the term nerve cell as thus used would not refer to a 

 unit structure, but to an assemblage of several different cells. 



In what he designates as the endoplasm, and we characterize as 

 the cytoplasm, are found certain bodies concerning the interpretation 

 of which we must differ from him. He says (p. 155—157): "Das 

 Endoplasma wird durch ein niehr oder weniger grobkörniges Aussehen 

 charakterisiert und enthält eine sehr große Quantität Chromophil- 

 substanz ; färbt sich deswegen sehr scharf mit allen basischen Färbungs- 

 mitteln . . . Die Chroraophilsubstanz des Eodoplasmas nimmt oft zwei 

 Drittel der ganzen Zelle oder sogar noch mehr ein. Figuren 5, 10 

 zeigen uns ziemlich starke, dunkle Schollen, zu welchen feine Fasern 

 herantreten. Meiner Ansicht nach sind diese Schollen nichts anderes 

 als Chromophilansammlungen des Endoplasmas, welche möglicherweise 

 durch die speziellen Methoden hervorgerufen worden sind. Diese Proto- 

 plasmaschollen sind wahrscheinlich nichts anderes als NissL-Körperchen." 



These "Nissl bodies", which Gariaeff refers to in the passage 

 quoted and figures on Tafel IX, we believe to be the same as those 

 figured in this paper. It is to be noticed, first of all, that these 

 bodies have the appearance of vacuoles. This fact seems to 

 militate against recognizing them as Nissl bodies. In our earlier con- 

 tributions on this subject, and likewise in this paper, we maintain that 

 these vacuoles are directly related to the metabolism of the cell. 

 This interpretation we have tried to substantiate by feeding, fatiguing 

 and starving experiments, and we believe that we have succeeded. 



The second point which Gariaeff maintains is, that there are neu- 

 rites within the cell and that they terminate in these bodies. When 

 one studies these vacuoles in the living cell, it is readily discerned 

 that the vacuoles can be pushed about and that they move freely in the 

 cytoplasm. In Octopus the vacuoles are not arranged concentrically 

 in the living cell, but are frequently in masses, which vary greatly 

 in number in the several cells of a ganglion. We have not used the 

 particular methods employed by Gariaeff, but from the conditions in 

 the living cell and the cells fixed in Hermann's fluid, we doubt the 

 correctness of his interpretations. We do agree with him, however, 

 in regarding these structures as of great physiological importance ; in 

 short, we believe that they are directly related to the constructive 

 metabolism of the nerve cell. If such is the function of the Nissl 

 bodies, or the structures in the invertebrates which have been given 

 this name, then we are in agreement with the numerous contributions 

 on this topic. 



