PSYCHIC ADAPTATION 103 



Eeturning to our subject, we were saying that 

 to the philosophic mind of Kamon y Cajal is due 

 the recent discovery or interpretation of the 

 reticulum of the neurona. This reticulum is formed 

 of small neurofibriles. Let us see what account 

 Dr Azoulay gives of this discovery and the inter- 

 pretation : 



"The authors who, until now, have dealt with 

 the small neurofibriles, have always thought that 

 their reticulum was immobile, that it was a ques- 

 tion of a fixed apparatus incapable of transformation. 



"This view is untenable; the neurofibrile 

 reticulum cannot be more variable, whether in its 

 normal or pathological state. Facts demonstrate 

 this better than any preconceived idea." 



Variations during the Normal State. Let us first 

 consider the observation of Senor Cajal and his 

 assistant Tello during the normal state : 



" Being anxious to ascertain the aspect of the 

 neurofibrile reticulum in lizards, Senor Tello 

 destroyed a few of these little animals during last 

 winter, with the view of studying their nervous 

 system by Cajal's method. 



" Great was his surprise when, contrary to all 

 his anticipations, he found in the cells only a very 

 small number of neurofibriles, so compact that, 

 with a slightly more powerful microscope, he could 

 easily distinguish them. These neurofibriles, separ- 



