MUSCLE DEGENERATION IN AMPHIBIA 83 



The only apparent role of the leucocytes in the degenerating 

 muscles of Salamandra atra is the taking up and removal of the 

 products of degeneration. They take no perceptible active part 

 in breaking down the muscle tissue. According to a theory of 

 Anglas ('00), the leucocytes produce an enzyme which acts upon 

 the tissues, causing their dissoliltion. The only indication of the 

 correctness of this view is the large accumulation of leucocytes in 

 the first stages of degeneration, even before any changes of the 

 fibers are apparent under the microscope. 



CONCLUSIONS 



The conclusions of this work are summarized as follows: 



1. The eosinophile granules are exogenous in their nature, that 

 is, they are derived from material outside of the cell containing 

 them and not directly a product of the activity of the leucocyte 

 itself. The presence of free eosinophile granules found to be so 

 plentiful among degenerating erythrocytes and muscle tissue and 

 later taken up by lymphocytes, support this conclusion. 



2. The eosinophile granules are products of degenerated muscle 

 tissue and degenerated erythrocytes. This is supported by the 

 fact that they are found only in connection with the above named 

 degenerating tissues. The fact also that more eosinophile leu- 

 cocytes are found in the blood during the period of metamor- 

 phosis than in the lar^^al or in the adult condition, supports this 

 conclusion. 



3. As they are found onl}*^ in connection with tissue containing 

 a relatively large amount of hemoglobin, it is believed that hemo- 

 globin is a part of their chemical composition. This conclusion 

 by no means excludes the probability that the eosinophile granules 

 contain chemical compounds besides hemoglobin. 



4. The eosinophile granules are taken up by the lymphocytes 

 (large and small) which are thus converted into eosinophile cells. 

 The eosinophile leucocytes are, therefore, the white blood cells 

 ingested with the products of degenerated erythrocytes and degen- 

 erated muscle tissue. 



5. The eosinophile cells with different types of nuclei are gene- 

 tically related to one another. 



