MUSCLE DEGENERATION AND ITS RELATION TO THE 



ORIGIN OF EOSINOPHILE LEUCOCYTES IN 



AMPHIBIA (SALAMANDRA ATRA) 



J. A. BADERTSCHER 



Department of Histology and Embryology, Cornell University, Ithaca 



SEVEN FIGURES 



The investigation presented in this paper has a twofold object: 

 Primarily, to offer an explanation for the source of large numbers 

 of free eosin-staining granules and eosinophile leucocytes found 

 in connection with degenerating muscle and with the absorption 

 of the gills taking place during the period of transformation of 

 Salamandra atra; and, secondarily, to present briefly the manner 

 of muscle degeneration as it occurs in this form. In Salamandra 

 atra an intimate relation exists between the origin of the eosino- 

 phile leucocytes and degenerating muscle tissue so that the one 

 cannot be studied without considering the other. ^ 



An investigation into the origin of the eosinophile leucocytes 

 seemed proper for the reason that the source and nature of the 

 granules in the granular leucocytes is still a much debated ques- 

 tion. Also, as far as I was able to determine, no work has yet 



1 The material used was prepared by Dr. B. F. Kingsbury to whom it was kindly 

 furnished by Professor MoUier of the Histological-Embryological Institute, Mu- 

 nich. I wish to express my thanks to Professor Kingsbury for the use of the mate- 

 rial and for the valuable suggestions given me on this work. Twenty-seven series 

 were examined, of which six were of animals still in the larval condition, ranging 

 in length from 12.5 to 38 mm.; thirteen in the period of transformation, ranging in 

 length from 44 to 48 mm.; and seven in the adult condition. Different approved 

 fixers (Helly's, Zenker's, Tri-chlor-acetic) were used in fixing the material. Only 

 the head and anterior part of the body, including the heart, were sectioned. The 

 sections were cut from 8 to 15 micra in thickness. The greater number of the series 

 were stained with iron or copper (Weigert's) hematoxylin, and eosin or orange-G 

 was used as a counter stain. 



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