255 



layer on the third, fourth, or sixth day, it may at once be held 

 as no longer doubtful that in all three cases we have to do 

 with the cells of the liver. 



Holm maintained that fibres proceeded from these spindle- 

 shaped cells, and I am compelled, upon the basis of this set 

 of observations, to support his assertion, and to bring into 

 prominence that especially interesting circumstance, that the 

 first irritation which acts upon the liver is a mechanical 

 extension, Avhich in the first place transforms the cells into 

 spindle-shaped bodies, and that these then pass into fibres. 

 Now, we have an exphmation of the remarkable account given 

 by Holm, that only at the place where the needle passes 

 among the liver-cells do these bodies become much altered, 

 and that the connective tissue is not so much affected. The 

 compact connective tissue would not be mechanically affected 

 by the puncturing needle in the manner that the soft liver- 

 cells are, and thus the difference in the phenomena may be 

 explained. 



SVith injury of the liver by a needle the suppuration is very 

 slight ; there are but a few form-elements between the 

 liver-cells that can be regarded as pus-corpuscles; but cir- 

 cumstances are different if the raw cut surfaces of an exposed 

 liver be touched with diluted ammonia. There is then 

 excessive suppuration, and in sections masses of cells resem- 

 bling pus-corpuscles are found about the vessels, not only at 

 the circumference, but also in the centres of the lobules. 

 Here, then, we have to deal Mith the suppuration described 

 by Koster. With the kind of irritation just mentioned there 

 is no formation of spindle-shaped cells, except in parts where 

 there has been much extravasation of blood, and here we 

 have a fresh proof of the circumstances under which these 

 spindle-shaped bodies are formed. 



9. On the CoNiJUcroF the Fixed Cells of the Tadpole's 



Tail after Mechanical Ikritation of this Organ. 



By E. Klein and H. Kundrat. 



In order to prove the amount of stability of the ramified 

 cells found in the tail of the tadpole, we have examined this 

 again when in a state of inflammation. 



Before giving the results of our observations, we will 

 describe the methods by which our investigations were carried 

 out. 



Vigorous tadpoles were placed in a small quantity of a 

 slightly coloured solution of curare, and were allowed to 

 remain in this fluid until they were fully paralysed. Irrita- 

 tion was then set up; this consisted in cutting off" the tip of 



