CHAP. XIII.] 



PACINIAN BODIES. 



399 



racter of the axis- 

 cylinder. No nu- 

 cleus, like that of 

 the caudate nerve- 

 vesicles, can be seen. 

 Sometimes the axis- 

 cylinder divides near 

 its termination into 

 two or even into 

 three branches, each 

 of which terminates 

 by an adherent 

 swollen extremity. 

 Sometimes this di- 

 vision occurs near 

 the proximal end of 

 the central capsule, 

 and one of the 

 branches passes in 

 a retrograde course 

 into a subordinate 

 offset from the cen- 

 tral cavity, and th ere 

 terminates (fig. 74, 

 D). In the midst 

 of these varieties 

 one thing is con- 

 stant, viz., the re- 

 markable accuracy 

 with which the pale 

 nerve pursues its 



A . Termination of the stal k , and commencement of the central cavity. 

 n. Nerve-tube advancing to the central capsule, and there suddenly 

 losing its white substance and becoming pale. a. Artery ending in 

 capillaries; one of which enters an interscapular space, the other ad- 

 vances with the nerve into the inner capsule, b. Conical tubes which 

 receive the stalk: the fibrous tissue of the stalk is not represented, 

 c. Wall of this tube, continuous with the successive capsules, here seen 

 in section, d. Corpuscle of the capsular wall. e. More spherical 

 granular corpuscle, of which a few only exist. 



B. Distal end of the central cavity, n. Pale nerve advancing along 

 the axis to be fixed by a swollen part at the further end. c. Wall of 

 the central cavity, receiving the insertion of some of the neighbouring 

 capsules, here a little separated from each other by water, o. Inter- 

 capsular ligament of Pacini, continued a little way towards the surface. 



c. Two varieties of bifid extremity of nerve, attached to the distal 

 extremity of the central cavity. All magnified 320 diam. 



h in the axis of 



the cavity, everywhere equidistant from the walls. This is most 

 apparent when the cavity is bent upon itself, and when it might 

 be imagined that the nerve would incline from the centre 

 towards the concavity of the bend ; but it keeps a central course 

 there as well as elsewhere. This, perhaps, may depend on the 

 nature of the contents of the central cavity, immediately enveloping 

 the pale nerve. Near the wall of the cavity an appearance of soft, 

 delicate, longitudinal fibres, with elongated nuclei, is often visible 

 (fig. 76, A); and, although the space immediately surrounding the 

 nerve is quite transparent, we are disposed to consider the 



