VIRCHOW, ON THE CELLULOSE QUESTION. 285 



and which Gunsberg places with the corpora amylacea. To 

 this category also belong, as I first stated (Arch., vol. iii., 

 p. 222), the concentric bodies of the thymus-gland, of which 

 Funke (Wagner's Physiol., 4th ed., 1854, p. 127), supposes 

 that they are identical with the corpora amylacea of the 

 brain. I have expressly stated (vol. vi., p. 138), that they 

 do not exhibit the peculiar reaction with iodine and sulphuric 

 acid. The same may be said of the so-termed colloid bodies 

 of the hypophysis cerebri. 



4. The so-termed Hassallian corpuscles in coagulated 

 blood, but which should properly be named after Gulliver, 

 since they had previously been described and figured by him 

 in his translation of Gerber. 



5. The medullary matter described by me (vol, vi., p. 562), 

 and identified by Henle with the Hassallian corpuscles, not- 

 withstanding that its analogy with the nerve-medulla had not 

 escaped his notice, and which is placed by Meckel under his 

 " lardaceous substance" (SpeckstofF), although it is a normal 

 constituent of most tissues. I had already stated that this 

 substance does not exhibit the peculiar reaction with iodine 

 and sulphuric acid, that it is soluble in hot alcohol, in ether, 

 and otlier substances, in which the corpora amylacea are in- 

 soluble, and also that it resists concentrated acids and 

 alkalies, which at once destroy the corpora amylacea. In 

 short, this medullary matter (MarkstofF) has nothing in com- 

 mon with the corpora amylacea. 



6. Leucin-granules, which are so readily separated par- 

 ticularly in extract of milk, and which have also been de- 

 scribed by Meckel as a kind of fat, and placed under the 

 lardaceous substances. These bodies also, do not exhibit the 

 reaction with iodine and sulphuric acid. 



Among all animal substances there is but one, so far as 

 our present knowledge extends, which can be brought into 

 question, and this is cholesterin. The great difference 

 which exists between cholesterin and the corpora amylacea, 

 I have already (vol. vi., p. 420) pointed out in a cursory 

 manner. It will be sufficient, here, to remark that the cellu- 

 lose-like or amyloid substance, lohenever it is met with, exhibits 

 changes under iodine alone without any addition ; thus the 

 corpo7'a amylacea of the nerve substance exhibit a bluish, 

 and those of the spleen, liver, and kidney, a yellowish-red 

 colour. Were this not the case, it would have been quite 

 inconceivable how Donders and Busk should ever have 

 thought of such a thing, as at once to declare them to be of 

 the nature of starch. No sort of cholesterin upon the simple 

 application of iodine presents any change of the kind, and 



