204 



MANUAL OF HISTOLOGY. 



served in a number of cases at various stages in its progress. It 

 repeats in fact, inversely, the appearances presented in the mature body 

 by the cells whose fatty contents are diminishing ( 122). We first 

 see isolated globules of oil appearing (d), which become more nume- 



Fig. 197. Adipose tissue from a young rabbit. In the middle may be seen contiec- 

 tive-tissi\e cells; to the right, similar structures tilled with fat. Fat-cells to the 

 left (Fiemming). 



rous (</), and subsequently run into one another, forming larger drops 

 (<?> /, h), while the original finely granular contents of the cell decrease 

 more and more. This deposit of fat, moreover, commences sometimes 

 early, sometimes late, in the different classes of Mammals. These 

 appearances, however, are explained in a completely different manner 

 by Flemming, the most recent observer of note. 

 He looks upon these cells also as elements partly 

 deprived of fat, and supposes that in embryos and 

 young animals which have been richly fed (fig. 197), 

 fat-cells are always formed subsequently from the cell- 

 ular elements of connective-tissue. The final decision 

 upon these points must remain for future investigation. 

 The . fat-cells of an early period of life are, as we 

 have known since RaspaiVs day, and as our ex- 

 ample shows, much smaller than in the mature body. 

 According to Hart ing's very careful measurements, 

 those of the orbit in the infant are about half, those 

 of the palm of the hand, about a third as large as the 

 same in the adult. Harting concludes from this, that 

 with the increase in volume of an organ only a cor- 

 responding increase in the size of the cells takes place. 

 It would be well if the interesting question proposed 

 by him could be accurately answered, namely, whether 

 the fat-cells of a lean body are generally smaller than 

 those of a well-fed and plump one. 



This near relationship existing between the cells 

 of fatty and connective tissue is confirmed by further 

 As Virchow, Wittich, and Forster state, atrophied organs 



Fig. 198. Conn ective- 

 tissue corpuscles 

 from a human mus- 

 cle infiltrated with 

 fat, undergoing 



transformation into 

 fat-cells, a, almost 

 unchanged; b, cells 

 tilling with fat; c, 

 others whose pro- 

 cesses are diminish- 

 ing in size; d, fully 

 developed adipose 

 tissue cdls. 



observation. 



