258 REMARKS ON THE STRUCTURE OF FIBRE. 



initiated a " fibre," and described in our last No., p. 238. He conceives 

 " this filament to be in fact composed of two spirals 

 running in opposite directions, and interlacing at 

 certain regular intervals ;" and we are desirous 

 here of drawing attention to his remark as to the 

 oblique direction of the line separating the appa- 

 rent segments in the smaller filaments, in connec- 

 tion with the oblique direction of the spaces be 

 tween the curves of the spiral threads in this 

 larger one, as it will be found of some importance 

 when we speak of the ultimate structure of mus- 

 cle. 



The mere perusal of the catalogue of parts given by Dr. Barry, as 

 the principal of those in which he has observed these peculiar filaments, 

 is sufficient to prove how extensive such a structure must be, and con- 

 sequently how important it becomes in all inquiries connected with 

 the minute structure of bodies, to determine whether his views are cor- 

 rect, or whether he has not been misled by erroneous and easily mis- 

 interpreted appearances, in objects so minute and so indefinite in struc- 

 ture and consistence, and so readily altered by slight causes, as many 

 of the tissues he enumerates, obviously are. It is somewhat humiliat- 

 ing, however, in the present comparatively advanced state of microsco- 

 pical observation, to find, that such extraordinary facts as those adduced 

 by Dr. Barry with regard to the structure of bodies so familiar as most 

 of those in his list are to all, who have employed the microscope to any 

 extent, should even admit of dispute ; and, on the one hand, that if 

 false, their truth should, to a certain extent, have been admitted by 

 many whose opinions justly bear great weight in questions of this 

 kind ; or, on the other, that if true, they should have been equally re- 

 pudiated by others, who have enjoyed equal opportunities of accurate 

 investigation, and been animated with the same desire to arrive only at 

 'the truth. Such, however, is the case. We, among others, have re- 

 peatedly and carefully examined most of the parts and objects enume- 

 rated in Dr. Barry's list, with the aid of microscopes of the best con- 

 struction the present day will afford, and have been unable, in a 

 single instance, to satisfy ourselves of the existence of fibres or filaments, 

 having the structure described by Dr. Barry. Appearances, however, 

 have been frequently met with, which, by imperfect eclairage, or other 

 accidental circumstance, might readily be interpreted, as they have been 

 by Dr. Barry. 



Our limits will not allow us to pursue the subject through the whole 

 of Dr. Barry's list, nor even to touch upon all the sections of his paper ; 



