122 AREOLAR TISSUE. 
case the cytoblastema is fluid. Beneath the pus, in healing 
wounds, lie the granulations, composed of a firm cytoblastema, 
in which lie a quantity of cells. Henle thus describes the 
microscopical structure of granulations: ‘“ The most superficial 
part presents cells, which resemble the pus-granules, except that 
their nuclei are not broken down by acetic acid. In the 
deeper strata, the nuclei are very distinct, and the envelopes 
are polygonal, in consequence of mutual pressure. Wood has 
already drawn attention to their resemblance to epithelial 
cells. Deeper still the envelopes of the cells are found passing 
through all the gradual transitions of the fibres of areolar 
tissue, just as in the immature areolar tissue of the embryo. 
The first rudiments of these fibres are the longish nucleated 
corpuscles, which Giiterbock observed, and compared to the 
cylindrical epithelium. Hence it follows, that the formation 
of new cells proceeds upon the surface of the granulations, 
and that the transformation of the latter into cellular tissue 
(cicatrix-material, narbensubstanz) proceeds successively from 
the bottom of the wound towards the surface.” As no gelatine 
can be obtained from the granulations by boiling, Guterbock 
thought that those fibres in the granulations and exudations 
which resemble the areolar tissue ought not to be regarded 
as the actual fibres of that tissue, but as merely those of fibrin. 
But, as we have seen above, the entire areolar tissue of the foetus 
also does not afford any gelatinizing gelatine ; and since Henle 
observed a similar course of development in these fibres to 
that which I had pointed out in the areolar tissue of the 
foetus, we must regard them as the young fibres of that 
tissue (although they may differ from the mature tissue in 
their chemical qualities), and the granulations as nothing more 
than a primitive formation of areolar tissue. 
A formation of areolar tissue similar to that in the foetus 
takes place also in exudations resulting from inflammation. 
R. Froriep (Klin. Kupfertafeln, llte Lief. Weimar, 1837, 
Th. lxi) had already observed that irregular granules, some of 
which seemed to be extended on one or both sides into thin 
fibres, existed in the exudation of pericarditis, in addition to 
the fibres resembling areolar tissue. ‘These elongated gra- 
nules of fibrin,” he continues, “ seem to be the commencements 
of the formation of the new mass of tissue, that is, the rudi- 
