66 [May 1, 



decided bearing on that great physiological question, I have felt 

 encouraged to lay them before the Society. 



Termination of the Nerves in the Voluntary Muscles. 



The investigation of the termination of the nerves in the muscles 

 has for some time occupied the attention of various able inquirers, 

 but the results attained are by no means in mutual accordance. 

 The recent researches of Kuhne, in particular, on the muscular 

 nerves of the Frog, have led him to conclusions differing so widely 

 from those of Wagner, Reichert, Schaafhausen, Beale and others, 

 that I was induced to apply myself to the question, in the hope that 

 I might be able to contribute something towards its elucidation*. 



While previous observers have been unable to trace the muscular 

 nerves further than the surface of the muscular fibres, Kiihne *(* 



* As the more immediate purpose of my present inquiry was to examine into 

 the accuracy of Kiihne's recent descriptions, I did not deem it necessary in the 

 Lecture to do more than advert to the labours of previous inquirers. In order, 

 however, to prevent misconception, I think it as well to explain that whilst pale 

 nucleiferous branching fibres have been seen and repeatedly described as the ter- 

 minal ramifications of sentient nerves, some observers have also described the 

 nerves as ending on muscular fibres by similar pale filaments. Thus Axmann, in 

 1853, represented the nerves of the cutaneous muscle of the mole as ending in 

 networks of fine fibres; and more recently, Schaafhausen (1859) described the 

 terminations of the nerves in muscles as a very fine network which could be ren- 

 dered visible by means of carmine. In justice to Dr. Beale also, I must here state 

 that, in the account he has given of his elaborate researches on this difficult point 

 of microscopic anatomy (Phil. Trans. 1860), he describes the nerves of striped 

 muscles as terminating on the sarcolemma in a network of pale fibres connected 

 with nuclei, rendered visible by carmine and chemical reagents. Speaking of 

 these fibres, Dr. Beale observes (p. 616) that their " general appearance and refract- 

 ing power are the same in every part except where the nuclei are situated " ; he 

 adds (p. 617), that " the axis-cylinder gradually loses its hard fibrous character 

 (frog), and the white substance its peculiar refractive power and consistence. The 

 whole fibre, as seen in my specimens, seems to consist of a very transparent and 

 perhaps delicately granular substance, which can be shown to be composed of 

 fatty and albuminous materials," &c. Judging, however, from Dr. Beale's figures, 

 which represent the terminal network of the nerves distributed on the muscular 

 fibres of the mouse, and from his description, I am led to conceive that he has not 

 observed what Kiihne and I. have seen. He does not mention that he has seen 

 single dark-bordered nerve-fibres running out into simple and ^rce-branched pale 

 fibres, and, moreover, gives no figures showing such ramifications. It is true 

 Dr. Beale says that the same pale nerve-fibres he has described and figured from 

 the mouse, occur also in the frog ; but from what I have seen I cannot admit that 

 pale fibres, of the size and with the arrangement represented in his figures from 

 the mouse, are to be met with in the frog; A. K. 



t Ueber die peripherische Endorgane der motorischen Nerven. Leipz. 1862. 



