226 FORMED MATERIAL OF MUSCLE KON-LIVING. 



in cases in whicli the muscle has to perform increased 

 work. The living matter also determines cuiTents of 

 fluids towards it, and by its agency the contractile 

 tissue is permeated in every part by fresh portions of 

 fluid which transudes through the vascular walls from 

 the blood. 



It is very important to consider the exact relation 

 of the bioplasm to the contractile material of muscle. 

 From young growing muscle taken quite fresh and 

 carefully prepared with the carmine fluid and 

 mounted in glycerine, bioplasm may be frequently 

 detached with a portion of the sarcous tissue still 

 adhering to it. If such a specimen be examined 

 with a high power, it will be found that the bioplasm 

 passes into soft granular material, and that this last is 

 continuous with the contractile tissue of the muscle. 

 The soft delicate substance which intervenes between 

 the bioplasm and the contractile tissue consists of im- 

 perfectly developed formed material. This, like all the 

 contractile tissue already formed, was once in the 

 state of bioplasm. As in other cases, while the for- 

 mation of tissue is proceeding, we are able to point 

 out the living, growing, movmg bioplasm, the imperfedly 

 developed formed material, and the fully formed tisstte. 



266. Formed material of muscle non-lliing. — The 

 opinion is generally entertained that the contractile 

 material of muscle is in its nature difierent from the 

 formed material of other tissues, but from what has 

 been stated it will be seen that there is good reason 

 for reo-arding the contractile tissue as a forraed but 

 non-living substance possessing remarkable properties, 

 but not manifesting any of those phenomena which 

 are peculiar to matter in a living state. "While every 

 one will agree with me in regarding the tissue of the 

 fully formed hair, nail, and epidermis as non-living ; 

 and some will not strongly object to the same view 

 being applied to the formed material of bone, car- 

 tilao-e, and white and yellow fibrous tissue ; few will 



