DR. BEALE, ON THE TISSUES. 23 



material. The substance in this situation is in a transition 

 state, and separation very easily takes place at this point. 

 After death changes commence very soon in this imperfect 

 formed material. 



Areolar or connective tissue corpuscles, and their system of 

 communicating nutrient channels. — The term areolar or connec- 

 tive tissue corpuscle, has been applied to the corresponding 

 structures in several different tissues. In certain textures 

 Avhere it may be shown that nerves and capillaries are 

 abundant, a vast number of these connective tissue corpuscles 

 are said to exist. The nature of the so-called areolar tissue 

 corpuscles in the skin and other tissues will be discussed 

 shortly. 



Supposing the relation which has been described as exist- 

 ing between the germinal matter and formed material of 

 tissues is true, and the arguments advanced sound, it follows 

 that if this term (connective tissue corpuscle) is applied to 

 the elementary parts of bone, cartilage, and tendon, it 

 must also be applied to those of muscle, nerve, the epithelium 

 of the skin, glands, &c., for the germinal matter of cartilage 

 makes cartilage, that of tendon tendon, and those of muscle, 

 nerve, and epithelium, &c., produce the formed material 

 which exhibits the peculiar endowments characteristics of 

 these tissues. 



With regard to the existence of spaces and tubes, it has 

 been observed that, under certain circumstances, spaces are 

 undoubtedly to be demonstrated in the substance of various 

 tissues, and connecting these there are tubes. They do not 

 exist, however, as spaces and tubes for the conveyance of 

 nutrient fluids in the living tissue. Both are the result either 

 of a change occurring in the course of nature, or are arti- 

 ficially produced by the alteration of their contents by 

 chemical reagents, the action of water, &c. In the flrst case 

 the tissue is dying or dead, but the last is the explanation 

 when tubes and spaces are said to have been demonstrated 

 by the passage of air or coloured fluid in tissue, which was 

 recently in an active growing state ; except in the case of 

 bone and analogous structures, where tubes are present. In 

 short, these so-called spaces and tubes in soft tissues actually 

 contain the active living part of the tissue. It is here that 

 the inanimate nourishment commences its life, and passes 

 through various changes until its place is occupied by new 

 matter, and it has become firm and hard, and perhaps com- 

 paratively permanent, as tissue. The tubes and spaces 

 reaUy contain liAing spherical particles in all stages of being, 

 from the recently animated matter to the particles becoming 



