THE APPLICATION OF THE SILVER IMPREGNA- 

 TION METHOD OF BIELSCHOWSKY TO RE- 

 TICULAR AND OTHER CONNECTIVE TISSUES 



1. THE MATURE TISSUES 



J. S. FERGUSON 



From Cornell University Medical College, New York City 



THIRTEEN FIGURES 



The minute structure of true reticular tissue (reticulum, Mall) 

 has long been a matter of more or less controversy. Kolliker and 

 his followers regarded it as composed of branching, anastomosing 

 cells, while Bizzerzo, recognizing and laying more stress upon 

 its fibrous character considered it composed of bundles of fine 

 fibers to which the fixed connective tissue cells are closely applied. 

 As Mall ('96) has pointed out it makes but little difference 

 whether the fibers are within or without the cells provided we 

 understand what is the precise relation. 



A few fundamental facts of structure may be taken for granted. 

 That reticulum contains both fibers and fixed connective tissue 

 cells is obvious. That it is more or less infiltrated by leucocytes 

 is well known. That its anastomosing elements are frequently 

 continuous with bundles of white fibers may be readily observed 

 in any section of lymphoid tissue. The points of divergence ap- 

 pear when one attempts to determine the relation: (1) of fixed 

 connective tissue cells to reticular fibers ('Gitterfasern'), (2) of 

 reticular fibers to elastic fibers, (3) of reticular fibers to the white 

 fibers of collaginous tissue, (4) of 'fixed' to 'wandering' cells. 

 The present paper is concerned with the attempt to throw some 

 light upon the basic problems related to the first three of these 

 questions. 



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