8v0 



of blood-corpuscles, yet were filled by the injecting fluid. Dr. 

 Carter is inclined to suppose that they are in communication 

 with lymphatic 'terminal branches, but in any case they form 

 a series of plasmatic canals similar to those conceded as ex- 

 isting in bone and dentine, but in direct continuity with the 

 capillaries. In other tissues, as well in other animals, e. g. 

 tongue of man, hair-follicles of mouse, &c., the author has 

 detected this network. 



Dr. Carter is not, however, content with this demonstra- 

 tion, but endeavours to prove that the capillaries communi- 

 cate distally with the lymphatics through the intervention of 

 such fine canals as those described. Numerous instances are 

 cited in which injection was seen to pass from the capillaries 

 through a fine system of canals, such as the canaliculi of 

 bone, into lymph-spaces. Dr. Carter attaches consider- 

 able importance to what Goodsir termed "^ germinal spots " 

 or centres of nutrition, in connection with this matter, and 

 he brings forward a large amount of evidence to show that 

 fine canals place the capillaries in actual communication with 

 the nuclei of various tissues, e.g. connective tissue, muscular 

 tissue, cartilage and bone. He points out that the existence of 

 this fine set of canals facilitates the explanation of the rapid 

 formation of capillaries in inflammation, and their subsequent, 

 disappearance ; he would attribute inflammation to a loss of 

 tonicity in the walls of these finer canals, as also in the capil- 

 lary walls. Dr. Carter entertains the opinion that every living 

 cell or fibre of the higher organisms is in direct connection at 

 some part of its surface with a channel conveying nutritive 

 fluid. With regard to the offices performed by these fine 

 tubular networks, he considers all those found in the epi- 

 dermal or mucous tissues to be especially and peculiarly 

 connected with the function of secretion, and probably also, 

 but in a minor degree, with that of absorption; while those 

 situated in the deeper parts of the organism, such as muscle, 

 fibrous tissue, &c., are employed in conveying blood-plasma 

 to, and eff'etc matters from, the tissues through which they 

 run or with which they may be in contact. See also on this 

 matter, the abstract of Dr. Kcister's paper, p. 46. 



General. — Histology of tlic Em'thivorni. Six plates. By Dr. 

 Edouard Claparede. 'KoUiker's u. Siebold's Zeitschrift f.Wiss. 

 Zoologie,' 4th part, 1869. — We must defer a more extended 

 notice of this memoir until our April number. Prof. Claparede 

 points out that the histology of the earthworm had yet to be de- 

 scribed, since the papers of preceding authors were incomplete. 

 Inparticular he mentions that of Ray Lankcster, which, he says, 

 fails in this respect, while containing much that is interesting 



