No. I.] SYMPATHETIC GANGLIA OF VERTEBRATES. 41 



ganglion cell. The network is described as a closed one with 

 varicose fibrillae. At the nodal points of the network, nodular 

 enlargements are often seen ; these vary in shape and number. 

 He further observed that the spiral fiber became myelated at 

 some distance from the cell, and that it often divided into two 

 branches, — ^^ tubes en T" — the two arms being often traced 

 in divergent directions. (See Fig. 3 of his article.) Retzius 

 looks upon the spiral fiber as of cerebro-spinal origin, and 

 reaches the following conclusions as to its function : " Nach- 

 dem die Spiralenfasern sich getheilt haben, schicken sie den 

 einen Arm an eine sympathische Ganglienzelle, um in dieser 

 Weise eine Verbindung mit ihr einzugehen." 



Lawdowsky (22) (whose account I have not been able to 

 obtain) and Feist (23) have also written on the frog's sympa- 

 thetic. The latter's observations corroborate in the main those 

 made before him ; he finds, however, a different explanation for 

 the network and spiral fiber. Feist, while admitting that the 

 spiral and network often stain alike, does not regard this as 

 sufficient reason for regarding them as identical in structure. 

 The conditions, he says, may just as well be the following : 

 "The ganglion cell is united to the capsule through a layer of 

 protoplasm, arranged in the form of a network. The spiral 

 fiber, as it approaches the cell, pierces the protoplasmic net- 

 work at some nodal point and then enters the substance of 

 the cell." 



Feist (23) also finds, as his Figs. 20, 21, and especially 22, 

 may show, that the straight process undergoes division at some 

 distance from the cell. As a result of his investigations he 

 reaches the following conclusion, which is so at variance 

 with results previously obtained that it will be given in full : 

 " Nach dieser Beobachtung riickt die bipolare Ganglienzelle des 

 Froschsympathicus in das Schema der multipolaren Hirn- und 

 Rlickenmarksganglienzellen der Sanger ein, nur mit dem Un- 

 terschiede, dass bei jener die verastelten Fortsatze nahe bei 

 einander von einer weit vom Centrum der Zelle entfernten 

 Stelle, der Theilungsstelle der geraden Faser, abgehen, welch 

 letztere hiernach nur eine lang ausgezogene Partie der Zellsub- 

 stanz darstellt." If I understand Feist correctly, the spiral 



