70 PRACTICAL HISTOLOGY 



CHAPTER III. 



CONNECTIVE TISSUE. 



AREOLAR TISSUE. In the areolar tissue and in 

 connective tissue generally there are several parts 

 which present themselves for study ; and in order 

 to observe each to the greatest advantage different 

 modes of preparation are, for the most part, requi- 

 site. 



Preparations 1, 2. The Fibres of Areolar 

 Tissue. For the observation of the fibrous elements 

 simply, without special regard to their arrangement 

 or relation to the other elements, all that is necessary 

 is to place a small portion of areolar tissue, taken 

 from any part, on the centre of a glass slide, just 

 moistened with salt solution, and with clean, sharp 

 needles, separate it as finely as possible into filamen- 

 tous shreds. Then, before there is time for the pre- 

 paration to become dry, place a drop of salt solution 

 on a cover-glass and invert this over the tissue. The 

 object of using but" very little fluid to prepare the 

 tissue in is to prevent the filaments from running 

 together and becoming entangled when released from 

 the needles. 



In a preparation so made, nothing is, as a rule, 

 apparent save the wavy bundles of connective tissue 

 fibrils, these when much developed obscuring, by 

 their effect upon the light, the elastic fibres and cor- 

 puscles of the tissue. But if now a second prepara- 

 tion be made in precisely the same way, except that, 

 in place of salt solution simply, salt solution con- 

 taining one part of acetic acid in 200 is placed upon 

 the cover-glass, and if then the object is immediately 

 examined with a high power, it is seen that the 



