CONNECTIVE TISSUES. 



21 



white fibres, and constitute the bulk of all white fibrous 

 tissue. White fibres become completely dissolved by pro- 

 longed boiling, being converted into gelatin, a nitrogenous 



Fig. 4. CONNECTIVE TISSUE FROM THE ORBIT OF THE Ox, exhibit- 

 ing corpuscles of various shapes, felted white fibres, and a few 

 slightly curled elastic fibres. 



substance of simpler chemical constitution than the albumi- 

 noids, and characterized by dissolving in hot water and form- 

 ing a jelly on cooling. Albuminoid textures, on the contrary, 

 are coagulated by boiling ; and thus it is that when meat is 

 boiled, the flesh or muscular fibre is hardened, while the con- 

 nective tissue between the muscular fibres is softened and 

 ultimately dissolved. This cannot be illustrated better than 

 by comparing a raw fish with one which has been cooked. 

 In the raw fish the semi-transparent and comparatively soft 

 segments of muscle are united by firm septa, tough and 

 strong; in the cooked state they are opaque and hard, but 

 fall separate, because the septa dissolve into gelatin. 



The connective-tissue-corpuscles, being of albuminoid sub- 

 stance, resist boiling, and their examination is sometimes 

 facilitated by that means. They often present a stellate 

 appearance, sending out branches or processes in different 



