THE CONNECTIVE SUBSTANCE GIIOUP. 65 



At an early stage there are no marks of fibrillations in the 

 intercellular substance, but later fibrils are seen in the vicinity 

 of the corpuscles, and are some of the early signs that organi- 

 zation of the tissue is commencing. 



The corpuscles at the same time become smaller, and about 

 the central body or nucleus we see a delicate expansion (Fig. 

 24 a), which is the envelope of the connective -tissue corpuscle 

 a film of great tenuity. Klein believes that in these corpuscles 

 there are two portions, a granular or firmer part continuous 

 with the processes, and a delicate expansion that is hardly 

 visible. It is certain that the connective-tissue corpuscle is 

 frequently in connection with one or more of its fellows by a 

 mutual anastomosis of processes. The fibrillation appears to 

 be at first limited to certain areas about the cellular elements, 

 so that the long, flattened and pointed lamellae of fibrous tis- 

 sues on which the corpuscles are attached look like large cor- 

 puscles with correspondingly large nuclei. Using a camel' s- 

 hair brush and pencilling off the specimen under examination, 

 after soaking in a 10 per cent, watery solution of common salt, 

 the apparent nuclei with their delicate envelopes are partially 

 (Fig. 24 b) or wholly removed. We then see small strips of 

 more or less fibrillated tissue, having no central body that can 

 be recognized, even with the use of strong staining solutions. 

 These and similar observations tend to establish a conviction 

 that the fibrillated portion arises from the soft, gelatinous ma- 

 terial by a process of .fibrillation inaugurated by the presence 

 and under the formative action of the connective-tissue cor- 

 puscle. It is not impossible that the fibrin of the blood, which, 

 though fluid in the blood-current, is often known to be de- 

 posited in delicate filaments, may contribute largely, if not 

 wholly, to the formation of the fibrillae. As the tissue becomes 

 firmer, the little plates with their anastomosing branches form 

 a loose network which separates the fibrils into distinctive 

 bundles or fascicles, and encircles them more or less completely. 



There is another view which is offered as an explanation of 

 the process by which connective tissue becomes organized. It 

 is this. The change is derived wholly from the corpuscles. 

 Some of them split up into fibrils, constituting the fibrous 

 part of the tissue ; the others remain, and are developed into 

 connective-tissue corpuscles. This view has the support of 

 excellent histologists. 



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