( 1060 } 
one proceeds more caudally, however, the type ef cell becomes smaller, 
in the raphe rather sooner than in the formatio reticularis. 
Fairly far caudally there continues to be a clear connection 
between the raphe cells and the reticular elements situated more 
laterally, 
In fig. 15 this connection is still visible. The largest reticular cells 
which occur here are, however, no longer giant-cells. 
In fig. 15 a part of the ne. funiculi lateralis can still be seen, 
which nucleus is well developed in Macropus, and attains its greatest 
size on a level caudally from fig. 15. In how far there is a connection 
between the elements of this nucleus and the other reticular cells *) 
I cannot make out. This also applies to the series of cells lying 
laterally adjacent to the oliva inferior, and there are also doubts 
about the small group of cells situated ventrally against the radix 
descendens V as also about the small series of cells medio-dorsal from 
them, also visible in tig. 15; in this last case because they may 
for a part contain ventral motor root-cells. In proportion as these 
small groups of cells (also the ne. funic. lat.) may be classed together 
with the rest of the reticular cells, a different picture of the spreading 
and arrangement of these elements will naturally be obtained. 
Peculiar in any case is the way in which the reticular cells, 
arranged, more or less, in rows, are spread from the raphe in a 
ventro-lateral direction in undulating lines, laterally and ventro- 
laterally through the formatio reticularis. They form an arch over 
the oliva inf. and where the ne. facialis appears in the sections 
(fig. 16) they extend to that nucleus. Where the VIT nucleus ends a 
more lateral spreading can be seen. 
As lone as so little is known about the nature and the significance 
of the reticular cells, a rational division into groups is impossible. 
That the various writers differ in their division and nomenclature of 
the retienlar cells seems to me very comprehensible *). In my opinion 
it is not desirable for the present to make any divisions into groups 
1) Marsure, in his atlas, sometimes calls the ne. funic, lat. also ne. retic 
lateralis. (See: Microscopisch-Lopograph. Atlas der mensehlichen Zentral Nerven 
syslems). 
2) The reticular cells lying round the XIL roots were taken together by KöLLIKER 
as ne. reticularis diffuses: he mentioned them “besonders in den lateralen Theilen 
der formatio reticularis” and medially “bis gegen die Rapbe hin.” 
The cells lying medially from the XIL roots are considered by OBERSTEINER as 
ne funiculi anteriores, and by MrssLawskr and VAN BECHTEREW as ic. respiratorins - 
The large cells occurring on the level of the VILL entrance and caudally from 
that, have been described by Rotnur, and are termed by most writers vc. centralis 
inferior ROLLER. 
