186 DR. BEALE, ON THE TISSUES. 



drawing; the tube to wliicli the eye-piece was attached back- 

 wards and forwards. In this arrangement the preparation 

 was held firmly in its place, and it was scarcely possible to 

 alter its position if ordinary care were used. The apparatus 

 enabled objects to be examined under the tenth and twelfth- 

 of-an-inch object-glasses. The microscope was firmly fixed 

 in a stand provided with a small oil-lamp giving a good light. 

 The focus could be altered by drawing the tube to which the 

 eye-piece was attached in and out, until the object was seen 

 perfectly clearly. 



Germinal matter : formed material. — In the preparations 

 shown, the part of the tissue which is active, and which 

 possesses the highest powers of increase, was tinged of a dark- 

 red colour by carmine. This, Dr. Beale termed germinal 

 matter. It exists in all living beings, and at every stage of 

 their growth, but its proportion varies according to the age 

 of the tissue. The youngest tissues consist almost entirely 

 of germinal matter, while in the oldest textures little exists. 

 Those tissues which grow rapidly and change much, contain 

 a large proportion of germinal matter ; while, in those which 

 grow very slowly, comparatively little is found. The tissues 

 which possess such different properties were all once in the 

 condition of germinal matter, and the properties which the 

 tissue possesses in its fully developed state, depend upon the 

 powers of the germinal matter from which it was formed. 

 Tissues which are remarkable in their adult state for the 

 large quantity of so-called intercellular substance, exhibit but 

 little during the early peiiod of their development, while in 

 their earliest condition there is no intercellular substance 

 at all. 



The tissue or formed material is not coloured by caraaine ; 

 and, if by prolonged maceration it be stained by it, the stain 

 may be removed by soaking in glycerine, but the tint still 

 remains in the germinal matter. Dr. Beale believed that, in 

 every living being, by the action of an ammoniacal solution 

 of carmine, and subsequent soaking in glycerine, we can posi- 

 tively distinguish the germinal matter from \\\e formed material. 



Preparation of s])ecime)is. — In most of the preparations the 

 capillaries have been filled with a transparent Prussian blue 

 injection containing a little alcohol and chromic acid; so that 

 while the vessels are filled with colouring matter, the adjacent 

 textures become permeated with a fluid which prevents de- 

 composition, and many transparent albuminous textures are 

 rendered just sufficiently granular to enable their arrange- 

 ment to be seen distinctly. 



By these methods of preparation several minute points 



