20 



SPECIAL HISTOLOGY. 



scopist is doubtless acquainted with brownish, elongated bodies 

 (0-12 — 0-24"' in length, 0-04 — 0-08'" in breadth), consisting of 



Fig. 177. 



a dark axis and a finely granular cortex, from the coating of 

 the tongue. The centre of these bodies only is composed of 

 cornified epithelial cells, which become isolated and swell up 



by the action of caustic potass and 

 soda, especially with heat, and are 

 derived from the epithelial processes 

 of the papilla filiformes; the gra- 

 nular cortex again, is nothing but 

 the matrix of a mucedinous fungus 

 of only 0006'" in diameter, which, 

 agreeing completely with the well 

 known filaments upon the teeth, 

 is often rooted in immense quan- 

 tities in it. In the dead subject we 

 readily recognise the epithelial cells, 

 covered with fungi, either with or 

 without projecting mucedinous filaments, even in situ (fig. 177); 



Fig. 176. A mass of epithelial cells covered with the granular matrix of the 

 fungus, b, from which a luxuriant growth of mucedinous filaments, c, proceeds ; x 350 ; 

 from Man. 



Fig. 177. A papilla filiformis, whose, here, short epithelial processes are invested 

 by the matrix of the fungus, from which also single filaments are growing out. 



