1883.] 



MICROSCOPICAL JOURNAL. 



49 



not presume to criticise this bioplasson 

 doctrine as extended by its supporters 

 over the field of histological study. I 

 can only treat it from the stand-point 

 of one familiar with microscopical 

 work. I declare the foundation of the 

 w^hole theory unsound. The reticulate 

 structure of protoplasm is either a 

 creation of the observer's mind, or a 

 false appearance due to faulty adjust- 

 ments of the microscope. If the re- 

 ticulum is a myth, the whole theory 

 fails. 



We may consistently confine the dis- 

 cussion to three objects ; viz., the Afti- 

 a'ha, and the red and the while blood- 

 corpuscles. , As those who have heard 

 Dr. Elsberg's remarks before the 

 Academy know very well, the theory 

 is, essentially, that all living tissues 

 are constituted of a fine net-work of 

 very contractile, living matter, with 

 inert matter filling the meshes. It is 

 not necessary to explain the theory 

 more at length, for the reason that 

 the existence of such a net-work, readi- 

 ly seen by the aid of a microscope, 

 forms the foundation of every obser- 

 vation in support of it. Moreover, as 

 the reticulum is said to be clearly vis- 

 ible in all living matter, we have only 

 to prove either that it does or does not 

 exist in the Amoeba, or in a white 

 blood-corpuscle, to sustain, or to utter- 

 ly refute the theory. 



I propose to demonstrate to this 

 audience, that there is absolutely no 

 trace of such a net-work in a blood- 

 corpuscle. I propose, if possible, to 

 show you the blood-corpuscles under 

 some of the finest object-glasses that 

 have ever been produced in America 

 or Europe, highly magnified and sharp- 

 ly defined. But, lest any person should 

 still doubt his or her ability to see all 

 that the microscope would show to an 

 experienced observer, I will say that 

 according to the reiterated declara- 

 tions of the two gentlemen already 

 mentioned, the reticulum is to be seen 

 " with great ease," — that it has only 

 to be looked for and it will be found. 

 I shall also show you an object that is 

 not easily seen, in order that those 



who doubt their ability to see what it is 

 necessary to see, may test their sight. 

 It is the lines on the silicious shell of 

 a diatom, known as Auiphipleura 

 plhicida. To show these lines requires 

 the best objectives and very careful 

 management of the light. . . . The 

 fine, transverse lines are about -gsoTro 

 of an inch apart, and it is these lines 

 that Mr. Mead has kindly consented 

 to show you this evening. Any per- 

 son who can see the lines in the mi- 

 croscope, can certainly see a reticulum 

 which is conceded to be easily seen 

 in a blood-corpuscle, if such a reticu- 

 lum exists. 



In a review-notice of Dr. Heitz- 

 mann's new book, published in the 

 New England Journal of Dentistry, we 

 find the following passage : — -^ 



" We have not been able to appre- 

 ciate the objections of some micro- 

 scopists to the reticulum, as claimed 

 to have been seen by Dr. Heitzmann.* 

 If all the finely looking pictures are 

 deceptions, never observed by unbi- 

 assed observers, we would rather not 

 read books any longer; but fortunate- 

 ly they are too plain to admit of any 

 doubt. If Dr. Carl Heitzmann alone 

 claimed to have seen the reticulum, 

 we might doubt, but the host of others 

 who have seen it no longer permits 

 us reasonably to doubt the facts." 

 This seems, at first glance, to be a 

 very rational and proper view of the 

 subject. Probably no one doubts that 

 Dr. Heitzmann does see, and can 

 show to any one, an appearance of a 

 reticulum in a corpuscle. We cannot 

 conceive that so many intelligent per- 

 sons could be led to declare they had 

 seen it, unless they had seen what, at 

 least, might be a reticulum, and what 

 they believe is such. 



Further on I will indicate some of 

 the fallacies to be guarded against in 

 microscopical work. I will only de- 

 clare now, that when the object-glass 

 is properly corrected and focussed, no 

 reticulum whatever can be seen. In 

 other words, the apparent reticulation 

 which Dr. Heitzmann shows is, un- 

 doubtedly, the result of faulty obser- 



