136 MUSCLE. 



instance, when simply torn, separate into microscopic particles, 

 -which have an almost similar length. The same takes place, 

 according to C. H. Schultz, during the digestion of muscle in 

 the stomach, and, according to Purkinje, in muscle which is 

 exposed to the action of an artificial digestive fluid. The 

 observations of Valentin, already mentioned, admit, however, 

 of no other explanation than that previously given ; and the 

 history of the period of formation deficient in my researches 

 (from the cause before stated) may be completed from his. 

 According to him, " globules of the primitive mass, arranged 

 longitudinally, in a linear series, are present previous to the 

 muscular fibres. The granules, then, seem to draw somewhat 

 nearer together, and to coalesce, at some parts completely, at 

 others, on the contrary, only on the one or other side. In 

 this manner threads are formed, which present at some spots 

 the appearance of strings of pearls, whilst at others they 

 are less sharply indented ; they are also often seen to be still 

 wrinkled on one side, while on the other their margin is 

 already nearly a straight line. The expression " granules of 

 the primitive mass" (Urmasse), or other similar terms, have 

 been hitherto used to denote either the elementarv cells 

 themselves or their nuclei, indiscriminately ; in consequence 

 of the distinction between them, and their relation to each 

 other being unknown. In the passage quoted, Valentin can- 

 not have meant the nuclei, for, as we have seen, they do not 

 coalesce. What he calls globules of the primitive mass must, 

 therefore, be the elementary cells furnished with their nuclei, 

 and in their earliest stage of development ; that is, before they 

 have undergone any transformation. The following arguments 

 may likewise be adduced in favour of the correctness of the 

 explanation which assumes these " globules of the primitive 

 mass" to be cells. In the first place, the structure formed by 

 their coalescence, namely, the primitive fasciculus of muscle, 

 is hollow ; and, secondly, in the early stage of development of 

 the fasciculi, the cell-nuclei lie just so closely together, as 

 they would if each nucleus had pertained to a previously round 

 cell. If these nuclei were subsequent formations, generated 

 in the primitive fasciculus of muscle, as in a cell, they ought 

 to be more numerous in old than in young muscles. 



It, therefore, seems scarcely to admit of a doubt, that 



