NEW VIEWS OF THE GROWTH OF BONES. 45 



lique in regard to the direction of the lamellae, and when the 

 work of ossification has not commenced, appear to have no fixed 

 arrangement, and are wedge-shaped, oval, oblong, or flattened, 

 see Fig. 8. Of the nature of these corpuscles, little f is posi- 

 tively known. Neither vegetable or mineral acids have any 

 effect upon them, except to render them a little more prominent 

 on the surface of a section of cartilage. Alcohol, ether, or a 

 cold solution of caustic potash does not change them ; but if 

 exposed to a hot caustic solution, or a long time macerated in 

 water they become completely liquified. 



The size of the corpuscles according to the measurements of 

 Miescher, varied in length from the 0.0048 to the 0.0072 parts 

 of a line, and in breadth from the 0.0017 to the 0.0030.* The 

 researches of this anatomist, of Miiller, and other recent ob- 

 servers, have shown that the formation of cartilage always 

 precedes that of bone,f and that each ossescent or temporary 

 cartilage, is an organic tissue, homogeneous, more or less pel- 

 lucid, elastic, in its first state almost colorless, afterwards assum- 

 ing a bluish cast, and having a great many peculiar minute 

 corpuscles interspersed through its substance, as shown by the 

 microscope. In the conversion of cartilage into bone, the 

 'change first commences in the cartilage that surrounds the 

 corpuscles. 



Weber, Beclard and others, believe that the calcareous matter 

 is deposited by the vessels, in the cartilaginous mould of the 

 tyone, as a foreign body, and that the cartilaginous particles are 

 removed in proportion to make room for it ; but this is a mere 

 opinion which has not been proven. 



Miescher, asserts that he was unable even with the micro- 

 scope to ascertain in what manner, the calcareous particles were 



* More recent researches seem to prove that the average diameter of these 

 cartilage cells or corpuscles, is about the one twelve hundredth or one fifteen 

 hundredth part of an inch. P. 



f This which was admitted by Albinus, Haller/ Scarpa; and others, has been 

 denied by Howship and Beclard, in regard to the diaphysis of the long bones, 

 and the bones of the cranium. In the bones of the rabbit, Miescher found a 

 mould of cartilage before a particle of ossific matter had been deposited, and 

 between the pericranium and dura mater, a thin stratum of cartilage. An ex- 

 ception must be made however in regard to certain flat bones of the human 

 skull, as the parietal. p. 



