286 VIRCHOW, ON THE CELLULOSE QUESTION. 



still less is it witnessed in situations where cholesterin in the 

 combined state exists abundantly ; as, for instance, in the 

 nerves and in the spleen, of which I have shown that when it 

 has not undergone the amyloid change, still it contains a very 

 large amount of cholesterin (vol. vi., pp. 425, 565). On the 

 other hand I would again remark, that sulphuric acid hy itself 

 changes cholesterin-crystals into brown or brownish-red drops 

 (vol. vi., p. 420, vid.; also Wiirzb, Verb., B. i., p. 314), 

 whilst the corpora amylacea are destroyed without any change 

 of colour. 



Busk, in his researches, besides iodine with sulphuric acid, 

 also employed Schultze's reagent, — chloride of zinc and iodine, 

 — and obtained also by its means the blue reaction. I can 

 confirm this as I'egards the brain, as well as with respect to 

 the waxy degeneration of the spleen, liver, and kidney. This 

 reagent even is to be preferred, from its greater convenience 

 of application, to the iodo-sulphuric acid, only it must be very 

 carefully prepared. At first I had hoped that it would afford 

 a new test by which to distinguish cholesterin, but it was soon 

 apparent that it also induced the most beautiful blue colour 

 with that substance, although very slowly. At the same time 

 I perceive, with much astonishment, that in England many 

 conceive that the amylaceous nature of the bodies is proved 

 by this reaction. This is altogether erroneous, for it is pre- 

 cisely this which is to be regai'ded as especially characteristic 

 of cellulose. 



In the impossibility of completely isolating the substance 

 in question, 1 have repeatedly sought to produce its charac- 

 teristic decompositions. My endeavour to change it into 

 sugar, by means of sulphuric acid failed (vol. vi., p. 426). I 

 then experimented with saliva, and of course with saliva 

 which was proved to be capable of readily decomposing vege- 

 table starch. But these experiments also afforded no satis- 

 factory result, either with normal saliva or with the secretion 

 of a person under mercurial salivation, which possessed very 

 energetic decomposing properties. Another series of experi- 

 ments appeared to afford more favourable results ; but 1 was 

 unable to arrive at any definite conclusion, owing to the cir- 

 cumstance that, latterly, fresh materials were wanting. In any 

 case the question remains in this state, viz. : — that of all 

 known substances none appears to be so closely allied to these 

 bodies as are starch and cellulose. 



In respect to the situation in which the degeneration may 

 be demonstrated with certainty, they are as follows : — 



1. The nervous system. Besides the situation before noticed 

 may be mentioned the ligamentum spirale cochlear (Wurzb. Ver- 



