BIOPLASM. 35 



fibres and the nerve fibres. These are the so- 

 called connective tissue corpuscles. They are 

 only represented over the small space indicated 

 in order that the arrangement of the muscular 

 and nerve fibres may be seen more distinctly. 

 These connective-tissue-corpuscles are con- 

 cerned in the production of the transparent 

 passive fibrous or connective tissue which forms, 

 as it were, the basis texture of the auricular 

 wall in which the more active nerve and mus- 

 cular tissues are embedded. But instead of 

 discussing the characters of this passive texture, 

 we will consider briefly a few points of interest 

 in connection with the arrangement of the 

 active and more important tissues, the nerves 

 and muscles. 



Connected with every tissue referred to, and 

 indeed every tissue in existence, are masses of 

 an oval, circular, or irregular form, consisting of 

 very soft structureless matter, which is coloured 

 red in the drawing. The masses were also red 

 in the specimen from which the drawing was 

 taken, in consequence of the tissue having been 

 exposed, immediately after death, to the action 

 of an ammoniacal solution of carmine. In this 

 way these bodies are obtained of a deep red 



D 2 



