TOUCH-CORPUSCLES END-BULBS. * 337 



of the nerve-fibres entering the papillae. Wagner, however, to 

 whom seems to belong the merit of first fully describing these 

 bodies, believes that, instead of thus consisting of a homogene- 

 ous mass of connective-tissue, they are special and peculiar 

 bodies of laminated structure, directly concerned in the sense 

 of touch. They do not occur in all the papillae of the parts 

 where they are found, and, as a rule, in the papillae in which 

 they are present there are no bloodvessels. Since these pecu- 

 liar bodies in which the nerve-fibres end are only met with in 

 the papillae of highly sensitive parts, it may be inferred that 

 they are specially concerned in the sense of touch, yet their 

 absence from the papillae of other tactile parts shows that they 

 are not essential to this sense. 



Closely allied in structure to the Pacinian corpuscles and 

 touch-corpuscles are some little bodies about g ^ of an inch in 

 diameter, first particularly described by Krause, and named 

 by him " end-bulbs." They are generally oval or spheroidal, 

 and composed externally of a coat of connective tissue inclos- 

 ing a softer matter, in which the extremity of a nerve termin- 

 ates. These bodies have been found chiefly in the lips, tongue, 

 palate, and the skin of the glans penis (Fig. 114). 



FIG. 114. 



End-bulbs in papillae (magnified) treated with acetic acid. A, from the lips ; the 

 white loops in one of them are capillaries. B, from the tongue. Two end-bulbs seen 

 in the midst of the simple papillae: a, a, nerves (from Kolliker). 



Although destined especially for the sense of touch, the 

 papillae are not so placed as to come into direct contact with 

 external objects ; but, like the rest of the surface of the skin, 



