290 J. S. FERGUSON 



This leads to the question of the rehition of reticular fibrils 

 to the "fixed" connective tissue cells. Are llie fibei-s contained 

 within the cells or are they only in surface contact? It seems to 

 me that Mall has given us the key to the situation with his theory 

 of exoplasmic deposit of the fibrils with constant recession of the 

 endoplasm during development. If one regards reticulum as an 

 immature or least differentiated type of connective tissue it is plain 

 to see that the fibers must readily lie now^ within the cell or endo- 

 plasm, and now without the cell, where they are left "high and dry," 

 as it were, by the complete recession of the endoplasm which leaves 

 in mature collaginous tissue only the nucleated cellular remnants. 

 Since certain fibers, or portions of fibers, would thus lie w^ithout 

 the anastomosing syncytial mass of endoplasm while certain 

 others would lie quite as plainly within it we have here a possible 

 harmonization of the otherwise conflicting theories of Kolliker 

 and Bizzozero. The facts of the case as I observe them in silver 

 impregnated sections of embryonal as well as mature tissues ap- 

 pear to coincide with this hypothesis. 



Ciaccio ('07) attacked this problem casually in connection with 

 his study of the distribution of reticular tissue in the lymphoid 

 follicles of lymphatic glands and observed a relation of contiguity 

 of fibers and cells, the two being independent. Thus, he says, 

 "le fibrille alia loro volta si diramano in tutti i sense e si montrano 

 independenti dalle cellule." 



Balabio ('08), cognizant of the work of Ciaccio, approaches the 

 problem circumspectly, and describes the fibers as ''superimposed" 

 upon the cells forming a characteristic close and delicate peri- 

 cellular plexus. He observed that the cellular prolongations "in- 

 tertwine among" the fibrils but he was not able to determine "with 

 certainty" whether they were superimposed or whether the}' "an- 

 astomosed in the form of a sort of continuous cellular net." He 

 "limits himself," as he says "to emphasize the fact without pro- 

 nouncing upon the existence or non-existence of true cellular 

 anastomoses." He is inclined to confirm the theory of Bizzozero 

 for he in one place says "Si puo confirmare conscicurezza quanto 

 gia Bizzozero ed altri affermarono che si tratta di rajiporti di sola 

 contiguita." 



