DR. BEALE, ON THE TISSUES. 3 



are connected and of which they are Init the early stage. 

 Although they somewhat resemble fibres of yellow elastic 

 tissue in their general appearance and in their power of- re- 

 sisting the action of acetic acid^ they are not of this nature ; 

 their outline is irregular, and when examined with very high 

 powers they have a granular appearance, which is very differ- 

 ent to the sharp outline and homogeneous appearance of the yel- 

 low elastic tissue. In the dead tissue they may be called tubes, 

 but they are artificial tubes, and do not convey nutrient 

 juices during the life of the tissue. The germinal matter and 

 imperfectly formed tissue of which they consist, cannot be 

 regarded as a nutrient material. It is merely an early stage 

 of the fibrous tissue. 



The dark lines continuous with the nuclei of tendon, 

 are not elastic fibres, neither are they elastic tissue at an 

 early period of its formation, as will be shown. Elastic 

 tissue when it exists in tendon is not connected with these 

 nuclei. 



How are we to account for the delicate fibres of yellow 

 elastic tissue surrounding the fibres of many specimens of 

 tendon ? Their existence is undoubted but they are not in 

 sufficient number to be considered as essential constituents 

 of the tissue, and they are not to be detected in all forms of 

 white fibrous tissue. For the most part they wind round the 

 bundles. By great patience one may occasionally succeed in 

 finding a nucleus connected with these fibres, but when this 

 is so the nucleus is very small, and quite distinct from those 

 which are connected with the white fibrous tissue. It is so 

 very seldom that a nucleus can be demonstrated in connec- 

 tion with the yelloAv elastic tissue in tendon, and from the 

 fact that this appearance has been proved in certain cases to 

 result from alterations produced in an undoubted capillary 

 vessel. Dr. Beale is disposed to explain the very few cases in 

 which he has met with it in this manner. 



As a rule the fibres encircling the bundles of the white 

 fibrous tissue are certainly not connected with nuclei. The 

 nuclei which are constantly present, exhibit a linear arrange- 

 ment at every period of the growth of tendon. The yellow 

 elastic tissue on the other hand is not arranged in parallel 

 lines, but the delicate fibres of which it is composed form a 

 lax network. 



As to the tubular nature of these fibres of yellow elastic 

 tissue. In yellow fibrous tissue, from many situations Dr. 

 Beale has seen prolongations of germinal matter as in other 

 tissues, but he has completely failed to prove that these 

 yellow elastic fibres generally are tubular, and concerned in 



