October 19, 1893] 



NATURE 



595 



the effects of surface tension, effects which are more 

 I simply shown in the contracting films, and tears of wine 

 of the laboratory and dinner-party. It is well known 

 that surface tension is capable of producing important 

 ; and curious changes in the form of fluids, and will induce 

 well-defined movements of a streaming character ; 

 1 surface tension, and the movements resulting from it, 

 \ are modified and influenced by heat and electricity, and 

 many biologists have suggested that surface tension may 

 ; play an important part in producing am.oeboid movement. 

 Prof. Biitschli takes many steps in advance of this ; for 

 having formed his artificial emulsion, he sees in all living 

 protoplasm nothing but a similarly constructed emulsion, 

 and concludes that because it is so similar its move- 

 ments must be of the same nature. We feel in 

 reading his work that not only does he in his 

 enthusiasm twist the appearances of protoplasm 

 to suit his own especial view of what its structure 

 must be, but he is guilty of want of logical treatment 

 of his premises when he has got them. Frommann, 

 Hertzmann, Klein, and, indeed, most histologists regard 

 protoplasm as consisting of a network of less fluid 

 material, the interstices of which network are filled with 

 a more fluid material, and this structure has been demon- 

 strated in almost every animal cell. This view of the nature 

 of protoplasm is open, however, we think, to criticism, 

 for histologists are in the habit of preserving and harden- 

 ing their tissues in fluids such as alcohol, picric acid, cor- 

 rosive sublimate, which act as precipitants to protoplasm, 

 and they blindly conclude that what they see in these 

 preparations are present in the living cells. On this 

 account many have questioned whether these networks 

 are ever present in the living cells, and Berthold and 

 Biitschli view living protoplasm as an emulsion of two 

 fluids, one forming an alveolar honeycomb, the other 

 filling its cavities. This honeycombed structure — emulsion 

 -Biitschli finds everywhere, from the protoplasm of the 

 protozoa to that of the higher vertebrates ; where there 

 was once a network now there is an emulsion. The inter- 

 fibular substance of muscle mistaken by a few observers 

 for a network is, for Biitschli, a honeycomb with frequent 

 transverse partitions, and the fibrillated axis cylinder of a 

 nerve has cross strands indicating that this is a honey- 

 comb too. In the apparently structureless protoplasm of 

 the outer part of an amoeboid cell, such as is figured by 

 Schafer in the last edition of " Ouain's Anatomy," this 

 structure is present to Biitschli, and as he cannot see it 

 there, even with the eye of faith, it is believed to be too 

 delicate and the meshes too finely drawn out to be 

 seen. 



As to the chemical nature of protoplasm, about which 

 most biologists who have had anything of a chemical train- 

 ing feel themselves rather in the dark. Prof. Biitschli has 

 fairly definite views, and these it must be admitted fit in 

 admirably with the emulsion theory. The honeycomb he 

 regards with Reinke as a nucleo-albumen, containing 

 some molecules of a fatty acid, and not miscible with 

 water ; the more fluid portion of protoplasm, filling the 

 interstices of the honeycomb, he regards as a watery 

 fluid containing albumen and an alkali free or combined 

 with it. 



Holding the above views concerning the structure of 

 protoplasm, which indeed, according to Biitschli, re- 

 sembles both in minute anatomical structure and 

 chemical and physical properties the microscopic froth 

 which he can manufacture, he looks upon the cause of 

 the movements of the froth as the cause of the movements 

 of the amoeba, and also in all probability of striped 

 muscle itself. Let Prof. Biitschli speak for himself: — 

 "Die liewegung einfacher Amdben, wie A. guttula, 

 limax, A. blatta;, Pelomyxa, ist den friiher beschriebenen 

 stromenden Oelseifenschaumtropfen so ungemein 

 ahnlich, ja in alien wichtigen Punkten, so ganz ihr 

 Ebenbild, dass ich von der Uebereinstiramung der 



NO. 1 25 I, VOL- 48] 



wirksamen Krafte in beiden Fallen voUkommen iiberzeugt 

 bin " (page igS, see also pages 200 and 208.) 



Now, for some time past it has been held that surface 

 tension plays a part both in the streaming movements of 

 protoplasm and in the production of amoeboid movement, 

 but no one has pushed this idea to the extent that 

 Biitschli has done. Let us see if the facts of the case 

 justify him in so doing. It is true that the picture of the 

 moving foam and of the moving protoplasmic mass pre- 

 sent many points of similarity to the eye of the observer, 

 but what of that .'' The waxwork figure may deceive us 

 all into imagining that it is a man, but once we know 

 what it is the most ignorant of us would hardly venture 

 to argue from its mechanism to our own. So when we 

 look at Butschli's foam particles, and when v.e are told 

 that they do not consist of protoplasm, and merely of 

 rancid olive oil and a weak carbonate of potash, then we 

 may exclaim at their interest and novelty, but we shall 

 not seriously compare them with living protoplasm. 

 Science is passing through two phases — the first spiritual- 

 istic, the second mechanical. Psychology is still very 

 much in the first stage, and physiology in the second. 

 There are still those among us to whom the circulation is 

 a thing of tubes and force-pumps, and nothing more, and 

 absorption a process that can be imitated by a parchment 

 dialyzer. Fortunately, we are getting rapidly through 

 these two stages, and are beginning to recognise that the 

 force-pump and parchment paper have led us often into 

 wrong conclusions. Studies in evolution have taught us 

 that protoplasm, made up no doubt of elements of the in- 

 organic world, is nevertheless a complex of these elements 

 of unique character, and with properties distinct from 

 everything that is not protoplasm. The oil emulsion may, 

 to the eye of the observer, conduct itself in a way exactly 

 similar to an amoeba — which, by the way, it does not, its 

 processes being club-shaped, and never pointed — but this 

 does not indicate that amreboid movements are similar 

 in their nature. With equal right would the to-day 

 representative of Madame Tussaud urge, on the strength 

 of their waxwork show, that human arms move by 

 springs and clockwork. Not only do these foam particles 

 tell us nothing about protoplasm, but for the investigation, 

 of questions of surface tension they are evidently ill fitted. 

 They are toys for the physicist, not for the physiologist. 

 We know that surface tension can well account both for 

 changes in shape and flowing movements of fluids ; it is 

 only by experimenting on protoplasm itself that it will be 

 possible to determine what part this agency plays in pro- 

 toplasmic activity. 



In Professor Biitschh's work the reader will find much 

 valuable information as to the views held from time to 

 time as to the structure of protoplasm ; and the production 

 of this monograph is a strong indication of the single- 

 mindedness both of German scientific men and of German 

 publishers. It is a large quarto volume of two hundred 

 and thirty pages, well printed, and illustrated with six 

 beautiful plates, and upon a subject which of necessity 

 appeals to a very limited number of readers. 



John Berry Haycraft. 



FINGER-PRINTS IN THE INDIAN ARMY. 



IT may interest some of your readers to see the terms 

 of the order by which the method of finger-prints for 

 purposes of identification has now been introduced 

 mto the Indian Army. A copy of it, sent by Lieut.- 

 Colonel Surgeon Hendley, of Jeypore, has just reached 

 me. 



Army Headquarters, Medical Diviiion, Simla, 

 August 25, 1893. 



In continuation of this Office Circular, No. 5, dated January 

 16, 1891, it is requested that as a means of identification of 

 recruits <or the Native Aitny, examining medical otficers will 



