THE CORPUSCLES OF GOLGI. 



77 



mass composed of polyhedral cells. In man these corpuscles are spherical 

 in shape, and receive many nerve fibers which wind through the corpuscles 

 and end in the free extremities, figure 103. 



Tactile Menisques. In different regions of the skin of man, one meets, 

 in the superficial layers and in the Malpighian layers, nerves which, after 

 having lost their myelin sheath, divide and subdivide to form extremely 

 beautiful arborizations. The branches of these arborizations are the tactile 

 menisques. These menisques, which simulate the form of a leaf, represent a 

 mode of terminal nervous arborization (Ranvier). 



The Corpuscles of Golgi. These are small terminal plaques placed 

 at the union of tendons and muscles, but belonging more properly to the 



FIG. 105. Neuroglia Cells in the Cord of an Adult Frog. (After Cl. Sala.) A, 

 Ependyma cells with their peripheral extremities atrophied and ramified; B, C, D, neuroglia 

 cells in different degrees of emigration and separation from the ependymal canal; their 

 central extremity is atrophied and much contracted; their peripheral extremity, on the 

 other hand, is greatly extended; the ramifications of the latter, terminating in conical 

 buttons, /, end under the pia mater. 



tendon. They are fusiform in shape and are flattened upon the surface of 

 the tendon close to its insertion into the muscular fibers. They are composed 

 of a granular substance, enveloped in several concentric hyaline membranes 

 which contain some nuclei. The nerve fiber passes into this little corpuscle, 

 splitting itself up into fine terminals. The corpuscles of Golgi are believed 

 to be related to the muscular sense, figure 104. 



