FIBROUS TISSUE. 227 



without, and some in the very thickness of the capsular liga- 

 ment. 



They consist of fibres which are flexible but extrefnely 

 strong, and in general have but little elasticity ; their surfaces 

 are smooth and polished ; their color is whitish and silver- 

 like. 



The vessels which enter into their composition do not com- 

 monly carry red blood ; and although it seems certain that 

 they must have nerves, many very expert anatomists have declar- 

 ed that no nerves could be traced into them. 

 A branch of the fourth cranial nerve, has however been 

 found distributed in the dura mater. Blood vessels abound in 

 the periosteum, but they merely divide in that membrane, so 

 as to enter the bone at a great number of points, as has been 

 before observed. 



In a healthy state, they are entirely void of sensibility, and ^ 

 can be cut and punctured, or corroded with caustic appli- 

 cations, without pain. When inflamed they are extremely 

 painful. 



The ligaments which connect the different bones to each 

 other, have a very strong resemblance to these tendinous parts, 

 not only in their structure but in their qualities also. Many of 

 them appear rather more firm in their texture and more vascular. 

 Their vessels are also larger: their color sometimes inclines to a 

 dull white, and when examined chemically, they appear to 

 differ, in some respects, from tendons. t 



They agree, however, with the tendinous parts as to their 

 insensibility in a sound state, and the extreme pain which occurs 

 when they are inflamed. No nerves have been traced into their 

 structure. 



Notwithstanding the ordinary insensibility of these parts, it 

 was asserted by M. Bichat that several animals who seem to 

 suffer no pain from cutting, puncturing, or corroding the liga- \ 

 ments of their joints, appeared to be in great agony when 

 these parts were violently stretched or twisted ; and he de- 

 clared this to be the case when all the nerves which passed 

 over the ligaments, and could have been affected by the 



