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of common cellular substance, which con- 

 nect the muscular fibres, and every where 

 pervade the structure of a muscle, may 

 be removed by boiling, and then the 

 muscular fibres may be separated, till 

 they become too minute to admit of further 

 separation, and almost elude our unassisted 

 sight. Yet there are some who assert, 

 that by the aid of powerful lenses each 

 fibre, though slender as the threads of 

 flimsy gossamer, appears but as a muscle 

 in miniature, being composed of a number 

 of smaller fibres. There are others who 

 maintain the contrary, and affirm that 

 they can see the ultimate muscular fibres. 

 It would seem to me a waste of time to 

 detail to you the reports of various mi- 

 croscopical observers, respecting the ul- 

 timate fibres of muscles, since there is 

 so little concurrence or certainty in their 

 descriptions. The opinion which such 

 contradictory statements have impressed 



