TEEMDxATION OF NERVES IX MUSCLES. 33 



surface, by a collection of from six to twelve or even sixteen 

 nuclei which occupy the site of the terminal plate. These nu- 

 clei are distinguished by their size as well as by their form, 

 which is less elongated than the nuclei of the muscular 

 tissue (connective-tissue nuclei of the primitive fasciculi). 

 They present, however, the most complete analogy with the 

 nuclei of the nerve-sheath (connective-tissue nuclei of the 

 newes). They are, without any doubt, nothing else than 

 the nuclei which, scattered throughout the entire length of 

 the sheath, are collected in a mass at the point where the 

 covering of the nerve-fibre is spread out and fuses with the 

 sarcolemma of the primitive fasciculus." 



There can be little if any doubt that the description just 

 given represents the mode of termination of the nerves in 

 the voluntary muscles in man and the mammalia. The ob- 

 servations of Kolliker, 1 who describes a plexus of pale fibres 

 with nuclei instead of a well-defined terminal plate, were 

 made upon frogs, and are probably correct ; and Kolliker ad- 

 mits the accuracy of the observations of Rouget as regards 

 reptiles, birds, and the mammalia. 11 The views of Beale 3 are 

 only entitled to consideration in so far as they confirm previ- 

 ous observations. His descriptions and figures, as far as we 

 know, are not accepted, nor have they been confirmed by 

 any anatomist who has investigated the subject. The ap- 

 pearances of the terminal plates are represented in Fig. 3. 



Although the sensibility of the muscles is slight as com- 

 pared with that of the tegumentary tissues, they undoubtedly 

 possess nerve-fibres other than those exclusively devoted to 

 motion. In addition to the fibres just described, Kolliker 

 and some others have noted fibres with a different mode of 

 termination. These Kolliker believes to be sensitive nerves, 

 and their mode of termination has not been so definitely de- 

 scribed as in the fibres with terminal motor plates. ^We 

 refrain from giving a very full description even of what has 



1 KOLLIKER, Clements d^histologie humaine, Paris, 1868, p. 222, et seg. 



2 KOLLIKER, op. 7., p. 225. 3 Loc, cit. 



