wori 



CONNECTIVE TISSUE. 155 



words, the nitrate of silver has stained the myxomatous basis- 

 substance, and left the strings unstained, whereas the gold has 

 stained the strings very much, the basis-substance, on the con- 

 trary, very little. 



These facts convince us that Von Recklinghausen's theory, 

 that lymph-spaces traverse the basis-substance and contain 

 cells, is erroneous. The spaces produced by silver stain are 

 not lymph-spaces, but bioplasson spaces, viz. : they are the 

 bioplasson itself, unstained, or the cavities containing the 

 unstained bioplasson. Unquestionably, such light spaces in 

 silver specimens of various other tissues anastomose with the 

 light spaces of the lymphatics, as bioplasson formations (plas- 

 tids) are directly attached to the walls of the latter, and neither 

 are stained by nitrate of silver. For further details of the 

 minute structure of the umbilical cord I refer the reader to page 

 120, and to Fig. 35 and Fig. 36. 



The development of the myxomatous tissue of the umbilical cord has not 

 as yet been sufficiently studied for any positive statement. Of the minute 

 structure of the vitreous body very little is known. From what I have 

 seen in gold-stained specimens, and in the changes that occur on the borders 

 of tumors of the choroid growing into the vitreous, I am convinced that the 

 plastids of the vitreous body, most numerous at its peripheral portions, send 

 delicate offshoots of living matter into the myxomatous basis-substance, which 

 is alive throughout and liable to active morbid changes. 



The myxomatous tissue of the pulp of the tooth will be dwelt upon in the 

 chapter treating of teeth. 



Fat-tissue. Our knowledge of fat-tissue is very limited. The 

 main facts are as follows : 



Fat-granules may arise from any bioplasson granule in 

 isolated plastids and in plastids producing tissues of any descrip- 

 tion. The granules of living matter assume a higher degree of 

 luster and increase slightly in size whenever they are about to 

 change into fat-granules. As I have observed in colostrum cor- 

 puscles, the fat-granule at first remains connected by delicate fil- 

 aments with the rest of the reticulum, and S. Strieker has 

 observed that on the heating-stage fat-granules are expelled 

 from a colostrum corpuscle. (See page 28.) 



The chemical change by which the nitrogenous substances 

 are converted into fat is not understood. It is even possible, 

 according to a suggestion of L. Elsberg, that the plastidules are 

 not directly transformed into molecules of fat, but are only 

 mixed with them, so that in early stages of development of fat, 



