6o8 OKGAN OF SMELL. [SECT. 235. 



that I remain quite in the dark with regard to the main question. 

 However, according to the enquiries of Schultze in the frog, which 

 I can confirm, it appears very probable that every olfactory fibre 

 spreads out into a whole bundle of very fine, pale, varicose fibrillee, 

 which perforate the mucous membrane; and that each of these 

 then unites itself with one of the olfactory cells. 



In the investigation of the olfactory organ, the chief difficulty 

 is presented by the delicacy of the epithelium, and, accordingly, a 

 solution of albumen or the vitreous humor is alone to be used 

 for moistening the parts. The process first recommended by 

 Eckhard, and afterwards employed by Schultze with such happy 

 results — the action of chromic acid and chromate of potash — 

 has already been dwelt on. Perpendicular sections are best ob- 

 tained with the scissors from detached pieces of the mucous 

 membrane, and the borders of folds also frequently furnish good 

 views. The mucous glands of Bowman are to be found on 

 sections, or on teasing out the membrane, as well as on surface- 

 views and perpendicular sections of hardened preparations. For 

 the olfactory nerves, the most advisable method is to tease them 

 out, and examine them with the addition of some vitreous humor 

 or by chromic acid. To investigate the course of the nerve-trunks, 

 chromic acid and caustic alkalies are of no service, but the com- 

 pression of fresh preparations, or of such as have been moistened 

 with soda or acetic acid, is rather to be recommended ; for this 

 purpose, too, the mucous membrane should be examined after 

 long maceration in water, which leaves the' nerves for a long time 

 unaffected. 



Literature. — Todd and Bowman, in their Handbook, ii. ; KoLLiKEitin War:. 



Verh., bd. iv., p. 60 ; see alsobd. viii. and ix., Sitzungsberiehte. Leydig, in Beit)-, 

 z. Anat. d. Bochen und Haic, 1852, p. 35. Sappey, in Gaz. Med., 1853, No. 35. 

 Kohlrausch, in MiiLL. Arch., 1853, p. 14.9. Gegenbaur and Leydig, in Wurz. 



Verh., v. Eckhard, Beitr. z. Anat. uber Phys., Heft 1, Giessen, 1855. A. 

 Ecker, in Frcib.Bcrichten, Nov., 1855 ; and in Zeitschr.f. w. Zool.,Vm., 1856, 

 Heft ii. B. Seeberg, Bisq. micr. dc text, membr. intuit, nasi, Dorp., 1856, 

 Diss. M. Schultze, in Berlin. Monatsber., 13, Nov., 1856 ; and Abhandlungen 

 d. not. Ges. z. Halle, bd. v. Hoyer, H., Be tunica mucosa' narium strvctvra, 

 Berol., 1S57, Diss. B. Gastaldi, in Mentor, d. Acad, di Tor., xvii., p. 372. 

 Erichseu, Be textura ncrvi olfaet., Dorp., 1857, Diss. H. Luschka, in Arch. 

 f'.path. Anat., viii., \x 44.2. 



