PROGRESS OF MICROSCOPICAL SCIENCE. 153 
between these can only take place through the medium of the lymph. 
Just as the blood-capillaries at the margin of the lobules unite into 
larger trunks, so the lymph-sheaths pass into lymphatics, which are 
placed in the walls of the veins, and by means of the interlobular 
vessels pour their contents upwards into the lymphatics of the dia- 
phragm, and downwards into those of the hilus. 
Microscopic Examination of Hospital Walls.—The ‘Medical Record’ 
(December 15) says that some interesting facts tending to confirm 
previous observations by others have recently been communicated to 
the Société de Biologie, by M. Nepveu, of the Laboratory of La 
Pitié. A square metre of the wall of a surgery-ward having been 
washed after two years, the liquid pressed from the sponge was 
examined immediately. It was somewhat dark throughout, and con- 
tained micrococcus in very great quantity (fifty to sixty in the field of 
the microscope), some micro-bacteria, a small number of epithelial 
cells, a few globules of pus, some red blood-corpuscles, and lastly a 
few irregular dark masses and ovoid bodies of unknown nature. The 
experiment was made with all necessary precautions; the sponge 
employed was new, and carefully washed in water that was newly 
distilled. 
Microscopical Researches on the Growth and Change of the Hair.— 
Professor Von Ebner sent in to the Vienna Academy a paper on the 
above subject, on the basis of the anatomical facts. Professor Ebner 
seeks to elucidate as far as possible the mechanical processes of the 
growth and change of the hair. Especially it is proved that the inner 
root-sheath is of the utmost importance for the hair formation, and 
that the same, notwithstanding its being broken through by the hair, 
continues to grow during the whole hair vegetation, and in the under 
part of the hair even with greater rapidity than the hair itself. This 
information leads to important conclusions, of which one may be 
mentioned, viz. that the doctrines laid down by Goétte and Unna are 
untenable. Respecting the changes of the hair, the writer defends 
the doctrine of Langer, that the new hairs are formed in the old 
derma and on the old papilla. The objections to this doctrine are 
met by the fact which has been up to the present ignored, that 
the papilla, at the expelling of the hair, most regularly advances in 
height. The mechanism of this process is circumstantially entered 
into. During the upward rising the papilla gets smaller, and beneath 
the same is formed constantly from the outer and middle hair-skin- 
line a filament which is identical with the hair-stem described by 
Wertheim. On the same papilla is formed the new hair. The 
papilla by-and-by gets gradually larger again and advances, whilst 
the hair-stem disappears.* 
Cranial Morphology in the Urodelous Amphibia——The philosophic 
anatomy of the skull in these animals has been carefully worked out 
by Professor W. K. Parker, F.R.S., who lately read a paper on the 
* Weekly Reports of the Royal Academy of Vienna, Natural History Section, 
July 20, 1876. 
