.355 



were composed of an infinito number of minute globular particles 

 floating in the clear fluid. These globul.s were many times smaller 

 than the globules of the blood, and from their very minute i-ize the 

 author was only able to guess at their diameter. These o-lobules, in 

 the author's opinion, are not to be confounded with those described 

 by Edwards, Bacr, Sir E. Home, and others, who also stated the 

 tissues to be composed of globular parts ; because the globules of these 

 observers were of the same size us the blood corpuscles. These 

 minute globules the author regarded as the ultimate particles of 

 animal organization; and though they seemed to consist of an exter- 

 nal coat, and an enclosed transparent fluid, he thinks this is a 

 deceptive appearance, and that it is more likely the particles are 

 solid, as they apparently remain unchanged in size or form on dry- 

 ing. When the animal matters were removed from their chemical 

 solutions in a state of purity by means of ether, and again examined, 

 the author stated that these nu'nute globular particles were even 

 more distinctly seen than before, and that they retained their ori- 

 ginal globular appearance and general character apparently un- 

 changed. He also stated that the blood to which potash had been 

 added, was wholly reduced to its component globular particles float- 

 ing either singly or in small irregular agglomerations ; but not a 

 single blood corpuscle was visible ; all had been apparently resolved 

 into thin constituent globular particles. 



The author then stated, that he was induced to extend his exami- 

 nations to the natural solids and fluids of the body, in order to ascer- 

 tain whether any similar globular appearance could be detected in 

 them. On a dareful examination, almost all the tissues seemed to 

 him to be composed of filaments of extreme tenuity, of the very same 

 diameter as the minute globules he had previously observed in the 

 chemical solutions ; and these filaments could, in many instances, 

 be seen to bo formed of globules or molecules arranged in lines. 

 When the fibre or membrane was stretched, the globular or mole- 

 cular appearance of the filaments appeared to be destroyed, but 

 when relaxed, the peculiar appearance became again distinctly visible. 



On examining the fluids of the animal body, the author remax'ked 

 that the fluid fibrin which rises to the top of new-drawn blood was 

 composed of a multitude of minute globules of the same size and 

 appeaj-ance as those previously seen in the tissues and in the che- 

 mical-solutions. He further conceives, from his microscopic exami- 

 nations, that the corpuscles of the blood are very compound bodies, 



