( 456 ) 



arrangement of the networks becomes visible. The small swellings 

 of the nerve-fibre no more lie in the course of the nerve-fibres, 

 but more and more pass to the side of it (fig. 1,3) and at last thej 

 lie entirely beside the nerve-fibre, being connected with it by 

 means of a very small and short stalk (fig. 1, 2, 3). The swellings 

 of the rand-fibres always pass to that side of the fibre lying close 

 agaijist the cells of the column of Eimer, and so project centripetally 

 (fig. 1, 6). So when we look at a rand-fibre from the outside of 

 the column, as in fig. 5, we see nothing or only very little of this 

 change of place of the varicosities, and only when we play up and 

 down with the micrometer-screw of the microscope, we are able to 

 make out that the peripheral rows of varicosities lie in reality 

 underneath the fibres. 



So in the first place we see a very regularly occurring change of 

 place of the varicosities, as the fibre approaches the surface of the 

 epithelium. When we only take the place of the fibre we are exami- 

 ning in the section into account, this change is always found to 

 take place with perfect regularity. 



In the second place the following change may be seen: the nerve- 

 fibres of the organ of Eimer (both the rand-fibres and the axial 

 fibres) run between the cells of the epithelium. The first swellings 

 or varicosities, tiie small loose nets lying in the course of the 

 fibres, of course also appear between the cells. But as soon as 

 these ^'aricosities get larger and change their places, so that they 

 come to lie besides the fibres, they push theii- way into the substance 

 of the cells of the sensory column and not between these cells. 

 They become intracellular. In the preparations stained after the 

 method of Bielschowsky the cells and their margins and nuclei are 

 so clear and distinct, that when we only take care to examine thin 

 sections (5 — 6 fi), this fact maj^ be stated with perfect clearness. 

 Fig. 1, 2 and 3 give a good idea of it; when we examine longi- 

 tudinal sections of the rand-fibres, the section passing through the 

 axis of the sensory column, we see as it were the varicosities or 

 knobs push their way into the protoplasm of the cells. In cross- 

 sections now and then we come across places, one of which is 

 figured in fig. -4. The tactile knob growing into the fiat epithelial 

 cell, pushes its way into the protoplasm apparently with some force 

 so that the flattened nucleus is curved in by it. Similar drawings 

 are given by Huss. 



Another question is, whether these varicosities or tactile knobs 

 lie in the protoplasm of the cell, become an integrating part 

 of it. The facts seem to point to the contrary. On observing 



