34 PROCEEDINGS OP SOCIETIES. 



He was inclined to agree with Dr. Beale, that nerves did not enter 

 those epithelial tissues when the epithelium is thrown off continuously ; 

 for in such a case the nerves would be unfavourably exposed, and 

 undoubtedly placed in a dangerous position, to retain their normal 

 stimulus. Dr. Murie, in conclusion, eulogized the paper just read 

 as one of those valuable contributions to microscopic anatomy 

 imfortunately too seldom laid before the Society, where, according 

 to the number of its members, such practical researches ought to be 

 the rule and not the exception. 



Mr. Stewart said he wished to mention, in reference to the ques- 

 tion of the existence of nerves amongst epithelium cells, that having 

 recently had the opportunity of examining some very beautiful spe- 

 cimens of the cornea, prepared by Dr. Klein, he was firmly convinced 

 of the existence of a fine plexus of nerves between the cells of the 

 conjunctival epithelium, directly continuous with the coarser plexus of 

 nerves situated in the middle layer of the cornea. 



With regard to the influence of nerves on secretion, he thought that 

 the altered character of a secretion when the nerve supplying the gland 

 was severed or irritated, could not be entirely explained by the 

 influence it would have upon the blood-vessels. There could be 

 little doubt that there was a direct influence npon the cells, but the 

 question was, how that influence was exerted. Admitting the close 

 analogy between nerve force and electricity, to a certain extent some 

 of the phenomena observed might be explained by the example of a 

 capillary tube, which retained water under ordinary circumstances, 

 but if, when full, an electric current be passed through it, the water 

 immediately flowed out : in dialyzing membranes also, the character 

 and quantity of the fluid which passed was modified if an electric 

 current was passed through the membranes. 



Dr. Beale asked whether the section Mr. Stewart had seen was 

 transverse or not. 



Mr. Stewart said it was not. The fibres seen could be traced 

 down through the various forms of plexus most distinctly. 



Dr. Beale : What was the specimen mounted in ? 



Mr. Stewart : Glycerine. 



Dr. Beale : I should like very much to see a specimen in gly- 

 cerine ; I have never been able to satisfactorily develop the nerves in 

 the conjunctival epithelium. 



Mr. Stewart : The surface of the epithelium could be distinctly 

 discerned, and from thence the fine nerves could be traced down until 

 they joined the nerve situated in the middle layer of the cornea. 



The President asked Dr. Beale whether he meant to deny alto-' 

 gether the contractility of the capillary vessels. 



Dr. Beale said the exception occurred in the case of young 

 creatm-es, such for instance as the tadpole, whose tail was contractile. 



Dr. Lawson said he thought the gratitude of the Fellows was due 

 to Dr. Beale for the paper he had read. He considered it one of the 

 most valuable papers Avhich had been brought forward on the siabject 

 for the past five or six years. He thought that their views of micro- 

 scopical anatomy had been very much advanced by it. So far as he 



