182 CONNECTIVE TISSUE. 



tral portion of the cell may remain unchanged protoplasm. This theory was 

 adopted, with more or less modification, by E. Briicke, Franz Boll, Waldeyer, 

 and others. Briicke's pupils corroborated the original view of Schwann viz. : 

 that the fibers of connective tissue originate directly from offshoots of the 

 cells. 



Elastic Substance. The elastic fibers, first discovered by Bonders,* were 

 thought to be by this observer the product of embryonal fusiform cells which 

 have passed through transitional forms into a plexus of elastic fibers. This 

 view was confirmed, with certain changes adapted to the protoplasma theory, 

 by F. Boll and A. Spina. 



Territories. An important discovery concerning the structure of the basis- 

 substance was made by Furstenbergt viz. : that certain chemical re-agents 

 may break up the basis-substance of cartilage into globular or polyg- 

 onal fields, inclosing the central cell. He took these fields, the " territo- 

 ries," for products of secretion of the cells. Virchow+ corroborated this 

 discovery, and based very important biological views upon their presence 

 (see page 136). He considered the. central cell the queen of the territory, and 

 all changes of the latter as depending upon the changes of the cell. R. Hei- 

 denhain also made noteworthy researches as to the territories of the hyaline 

 cartilage. 



I have stated on a previous occasion (see page 132) that the 

 territories, which are traceable in all higher developed varieties 

 of connective tissue, are the true units of this tissue j so that 

 anybody who understands the development of a single territory 

 understands that of connective tissue in toto. 



From what I have described as to the basis-substance of the 

 earliest formation, viz. : the myxomatous basis-substance of 

 medullary tissue (see page 118, Fig. 33 and Fig. 34, and page 147, 

 Fig. 47), it is obvious that I essentially agree with those observ- 

 ers who have maintained a direct transformation of the proto- 

 plasm into basis-substance. I assert, in entire accord with Max 

 Schultze and Lionel Beale, that every territory originates from 

 coalescence of protoplasmic bodies plastids. 



If we recaU the fact (see page 133) that the basis-substance of 

 a number of tissues is traversed by a delicate reticulum of living 

 matter, we can realize that in the process of the formation of a 

 tissue no living matter, certainly not all of it, perishes, but that 

 it merely becomes invisible in the portions infiltrated with basis- 

 substance. 



If we, furthermore, recall the fact (see page 46) that the pro- 

 toplasma itself goes through phases of development, we can also 

 realize that the living matter appears in varying groups and 



*"Zeitschrift f. Wissenwliaftliohe Zoologie." Bd iii 



"Miiller's Archiv." 1857. 

 t "Cellular Pathologic," i. Aufi., 1858. 



" Stmlien des Physiolog. Institutes zu Breslau," ii. 1863. 



