122 THE MICROSCOPIST. 



The nutrition and growth of the living cell has already 

 been described as the conversion of pabulum into bioplasm 

 or living matter. The subject of reproduction will be ex- 

 amined below under the head of cell-genesis. 



4. The microscopic demonstration of bioplasm may be 

 effected by the use of an alkaline solution of coloring 

 matter, as carmine. (See Chapter V.) As bioplasm pos- 

 sesses an acid reaction, the alkali is neutralized and the 

 color retained. This process, however, is rather a dem- 

 onstration of the protoplasm which was recently alive. 

 For living cells or bioplasm, we must depend on supplying 

 them artificially with colored food. Thus indigo, carmine, 

 etc., 111 fine particles, added to the pabulum of cells or 

 liquid media in which they float, will be taken into the 

 interior of the bioplasm by the nutritive process. In this 

 way Recklinghausen showed the migration of pus-corpus- 

 cles. 



Welcker and Osborne w r ere the first to use a solution 

 of carmine in order to stain the nuclei of tissues. They 

 were followed by Gerlach and Beale, the latter of whom 

 has greatly improved the process and shown its signifi- 

 cance. 



5. The chemistry of cells and their products is an essential 

 part of biolog}', but would lead us too far from our subject 

 to discuss, yet a few points may not be irrelevant. 



The chemical composition of bioplasm consists essen- 

 tially of oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen, and carbon. Other 

 elements are often present and important, but not essen- 

 tial. Of the relation of these elements we know nothing, 

 save that they are in a state of constant vibration or 

 change. Dr. Beale considers it doubtful if ordinary chemi- 

 cal combination is possible while the matter lives. Analy- 

 sis in the laboratory is only possible with the compounds 

 resulting from the death of the cell. 



When living or germinal matter is converted into formed 

 material, a combination of its elements takes place, often 



