6 DR. BEALE, ON THE TISSUES. 



that part which is now cartilaginous) of a kitten soon after 

 birth was then passed rounrl. In the centre of the specimen 

 Avas a line marked by the existence of capillary vessels {a). 

 This divides the cartilage from the tendon. The arrangement 

 of the germinal matter and the formed material is the saraeiu 

 the adjacent parts of the cartilage and tendon, except that in 

 the tendon there is already an indication of parallel fibres. 

 The proportion of the germinal matter and formed material 

 is about the same in both tissues. In the cartilage the masses 

 of germinal matter divide, and the resulting portions at once 

 become separate masses. In the tendon the masses divide, 

 but the resulting portions are connected together for some 

 time by a thin line of germinal matter. Between the carti- 

 lage and the tendon is a layer which eventually becomes the 

 periosteum. The stellate ail'angement of the masses of ger- 

 minal matter (areolar or connective tissue corpuscles) is very 

 distinct, and their character is retained in the adult tissue. 



At an early period of development of all forms of cartilage, 

 masses of germinal matter are seen situated very close to each 

 other, and as the growth advances, the quantity of formed 

 material between them (matrix, intercellular substance) gradu- 

 ally increases. It is formed from the germinal matter. If 

 any of those cartilages in which small parcels of cells exist at 

 intervals through the matrix be examined, it will be observed 

 that there exists a greater amount of formed material between 

 the various collections, than between any of the individual 

 masses of each collection. If it be admitted that the matrix 

 is formed from the masses of germinal matter this fact is at 

 once explained. The more recent the division of the mass of 

 germinal matter the thinner vidll be the intervening layer of 

 formed material between the resulting masses. 



The manner in which the matrix of cartilage is formed was 

 easily understood after a careful examination of the specimens. 

 Large oval masses of germinal matter are seen to be separated 

 from each other byaverythin layer of soft formed material (ma- 

 trix) . Farther out this has increased, but as the germinal mat- 

 ter grows, while the conversion of its outer portion into formed 

 material proceeds, the elementary part becomes larger. The 

 next stage was shown in another specimen. In the other ele- 

 mentary parts growth has ceased, and the germinal matter gra- 

 dually undergoes conversion into formed material until at last 

 only what is termed the nucleus remains, and this in many in- 

 stances dies, and a small oval collection of granules, which are 

 not tinged red with carmine, is all that marks the position of the 

 germinal matter of the cartilage cells by Avhich the matrix, or 

 formed material, has been produced. After this has occurred 



