i I 



an irregular appearance and even prolongations ; sometimes 

 they are folded and their edges may be turned back ; their 

 nuclei, which are ovoid and very much flattened, enclose one 

 or two well defined neuclei. Other cells, less numerous, are 

 globular or irregular in form, and contain spherical nuclei ; 

 certain of these last are in every respect similar to the white 

 blood-globules. 



4th. These different cells are placed between the connec- 

 tive bundles, but all do not seem to hold the same relation 

 to them. 



While the globular cells appear to circulate easily in the 

 spaces left between the bundles, the flat cells, on the contrary, 

 occupy a position along the bundles, which they abandon 

 with greater difficulty ; nevertheless teasing out with needles, 

 or otherwise, suffices generally to make them lose their rela- 

 tionship. 



The star-like figures (plasmatic cells) which are observed 

 tipon the preparations made by section on pieces dried or 

 hardened, can now be easily explained. 



In order to obtain a satisfactory result, I advise that a 

 preparation should be made according to the following 

 method : — 



Harden in a solution of picric acid, make a section, colour 

 with picro-carminate of ammonia wash, examine in glycerine 

 100 and formic acid 1. The connective bundles cut across 

 are become transparent, but remain distinct. At the points 

 where several of these bundles touch one another, may 

 generally be observed a corpuscle formed by a red nucleus, 

 slightly shrivelled by the action of the acid, and around it 

 and enclosing it a mass of protoplasm slightly coloured with 

 yellow by the picric acid, having a semicircular form; 

 nucleus and protoplasma are comjarised within a space limited 

 by the edge of the red bundles. This edge is very sharp, 

 and this it is which has induced persons to believe in the 

 existence of a cellular partition. Since upon a transverse sec- 

 tion of the bundles, these as they touch each other necessarily 

 form outlines disposed as a net-work, it was believed, and I 

 myself believed, in the existence of a canalicular net-work in 

 which the cells Avere supposed to be included. 



IV. It is not to be said on this account that there is not a 

 plasmatic circulation in connective tissue. This may be 

 carried on around the connective bundles in the very 

 dilatable spaces left between them. The presence of cells 

 similar to the white blood-globules or to the lymph-cells, 

 leads me to think, with Recklinghausen, that the plasmatic 

 circulation is a true lymphatic circulation. Moreover, does 



