189 



germinal matter or ' nucleus,' as in the non-nucleated amoebsc 

 and protogenes primordialis of Hfeckel, the non-nucleated 

 monads of Cienkowsky, and in the leaf of Sphagnum, in such 

 Algee as Hydrodictyon, Vaucheria, and Caulerpa, and in 

 young germinating fern. 



" 5th. That in consequence of these facts, it cannot he said 

 that in the nucleus alone resides the power to reproduce the 

 cell, since Ave find the nucleus not essential, but that in the 

 germinal matter, of which, after all, the nucleus, when present, 

 is but a part, resides this function. 



" 6th. That when the smaller body within the nucleus, 

 usually known as the ' nucleolus,' is present, as it often is 

 in complete cells, it is simply a younger centre of germinal 

 matter than is the nucleus itself, and is the last formed portion 

 of germinal matter, instead of being the oldest part of the 

 cell, as originally taught by Schleiden and Schwann. And 

 thus, according to the latest views, the whole process is 

 reversed, the old order of succession being — 1st, the 

 ' nucleolus ;' 2nd, about this the ' nucleus ;' and finally about 

 this the ' cell-wall,^ which embraces the cell contents. Now, 

 however, Avhat constitutes the ' cell-wall ' wheii present, is 

 the oldest part of the cellj next in age are the so-called 

 ' cell contents,' whether germinal matter or not ; next the 

 ' nucleus ;' and, last and youngest, the ' nucleolus.' 



" 7th. That the formed material constituting the cell-wall 

 and intercellular substance may be something chemically 

 different from the germinal matter, or protoplasm whence it 

 •was converted, as the secretions of gland-cells, or may be a 

 simple condensation of the exterior of the cell, as in the red 

 blood-disc. 



" 8th. That the so-called ' free nuclei,' so often referred to 

 by pathologists in their descriptions of minute structures, are 

 simply masses of germinal matter, smaller than those to which 

 the name cell is usually given, which, if time be permitted, 

 will pass into perfect cells by the usual production of formed 

 matter on their periphery ; that they do not originate sponta- 

 neously, but from previously existing germinal matter. So, 

 too, ' granules,' if they be composed of germinal matter, 

 present the same attributes and endowments, arising from 

 previously existing germinal matter, capable of growing, mul- 

 tiplying, and assuming all the characters of fully formed cells, 

 but never originating spontaneously. Granules otherwise 

 composed are histolytic (larog, a tissue ; \vatg. a breaking), 

 and not histogenetic (laroQ, a tissue ; ytviaig, creation) ; that 

 is, they result from the breaking down of tissue rather than 

 go to building it up." 



