174 Journal of Comparative Neurology. 



terminal enlargement, the resemblance to the Pacinian corpus- 

 cles is lost and it is to these especially that the name " Golgi- 

 Mazzoni organs " is sometimes applied. 



In 1893, Ruffini, in a brief note, described the results of 

 some investigations, by means of Fischer's gold chloride meth- 

 od, on the neurotendinous end-organs of the cat. 



In this communication, waiving the questions of the struc- 

 ture of the organ and the form and relations of the nerve end- 

 ing therein, he emphasizes the fact, already discovered by Cat- 

 taneo, that Pacinian corpuscles are found, not only near the 

 neuro-tendinous end-organs, but even within their capsules. In 

 two later communications, of which we have seen only the re- 

 views, he again dwells upon this relation, which he, disagreeing 

 with Cattaneo, considers important in the consideration of the 

 structure of the neuro-tendinous end-organs of the cat. He 

 says that in this animal, from one to five Pacianian corpuscles 

 are found in each neuro-tendinous end-organ. In the rabbit, 

 although they are found, there are not so many nor is the rela- 

 tion so close. 



He also, in all these communications, describes a reticu- 

 lum {''reticule tmvenx") which is sometimes found on the neuro- 

 tendinous end-organs of the cat. 



The nerve fiber forming this network may be a branch of 

 the nerve supplying the tendon organ or may be independent 

 of it. This nerve becomes non-medullated, divides and sub- 

 divides, the resultant branches twining themselves about the 

 neuro-tendinous end-organs, not anastomosing, and finally end- 

 ing in a small ball-like enlargement on the striated muscle, 

 either near the neuro-tendinous organ or at some distance 

 from it. 



The author speaks also of the ''bandelette" of connective or 

 elastic tissue surrounding the organ at one of its extremities 

 and mentioned by Cattaneo and Ciaccio. In none of these 

 communications, has Ruffini added anything to our knowledge 

 of the structure and nerve terminations of the end-organ. 



In a recent article, Ruffini describes a new nerve ending 

 found in the sub-cutaneous connective tissue of the human 



