DR. BEALEj ON THE TISSUES. 79 



latter, which are very numerous_, are found in connection 

 with all nerve fibres, and are very numerous, and situated at 

 very short distances from each other in the terminal branches. 

 They are not mere swellings or varicosities, but oval masses 

 of germinal matter, which are coloured by carmine, and 

 are as necessary to the life of the nerve fibre as those of 

 cartilage, or fibrous tissue, or epithelium, or muscular fibre 

 are integral parts of those structures, and necessary to their 

 existence. The nerve fibres are very numerous in every 

 part of the specimen, and as the fibrous tissue of the skin 

 grows as the nerves increase, the latter gradually become 

 embedded in it, and are with great difliculty followed out in 

 ordinary specimens. In this preparation, bands composed of 

 three or four trvmks are seen to divide, some of the fibres 

 passing to an adjacent band, so that a most complicated 

 plexus is formed, and it is exceedingly difl&cult to find a 

 fibre which is undoubtedly single. As the power is in- 

 creased, fibres are resolved into two or three, which were 

 not visible by the powers in ordinary use (two to three 

 hundred diameters). 



Mucous membrane of fauces.'' — There are few structures 

 more beautiful than those displayed in a thin section, near 

 the surface, of a sensitive mucous membrane from man or 

 the higher animals ; but it is so difficult to demonstrate the 

 arrangement of the delicate nervous plexuses in these tissues 

 that the anatomy of these structures has not been fully de- 

 scribed. Immediately beneath the epithelium of the mucous 

 membrane of the palate, fauces, and pharynx of man, there 

 exists the most intricate plexus of nerve fibres that can be 

 conceived. Exceedingly thin sections are required, and Dr. 

 Beale has found that these may bemore easily obtained from 

 the mucous membrane covering the epiglottis than from that 

 of other parts. After the parts have been injected with Prus- 

 sian blue fluid, the epiglottis is removed, treated with 

 carmine, and preserved in glycerine. The mucous mem- 

 brane adheres pretty firmly to the cartilage beneath. With 

 a very sharp thin-bladed knife the layer of epithelium may 

 be removed in such a manner that the surface of the sub- 

 jacent membrane is completely exposed in some places, 

 while in others a very thin section of the deepest layers of 

 epithelium remains, and here and there a thin section from 

 the surface of the mucous membrane itself will have been re- 

 moved. Next, the thinnest possible horizontal section is 

 removed parallel to the cut even surface, and transferred to 

 glycerine. After being carefully covered with very thin 

 glass, the specimen is examined with a power of fi'om five 



