NERVE FIBRES COMPOUND. 4! 



reasons for the conclusion that the Sun, or force, 

 or matter of any kind, could develop a particle 

 of nerve or muscle, and show that there is 

 some ground for the dictum, " the Sun forms 

 the heart." But if this cannot be done it is 

 time that those who with so little consideration 

 have supported this outrageous assertion should 

 withdraw it, and admit candidly that the heart 

 is not formed by the Sun. 



But, so far, we have only instituted a very 

 superficial examination of the beautiful and 

 delicate texture which constitutes the auricle of 

 the frog's heart. We have not considered a 

 tithe of the interesting facts presented for our 

 contemplation by the study of this muscular 

 and nervous tissue. Every nerve fibre is itself 

 compound, and when we come to examine it 

 under higher powers, with the aid of the advan- 

 tages we now possess as regards methods of 

 preparation, we discover that the finest fibres 

 are resolved into still finer fibres, and it is 

 doubtful if we can obtain a view of an ultimate 

 nerve fibre, or if indeed it exists. Moreover, 

 the fine nerves do not lie parallel to one 

 another in the ramifications, but they interlace 

 and coil spirally round one another ; a fibre on 



