BER THOLDSCHWARZ 



203 



framework altogether, his attitude is quite intelligible, for a 

 framework of this kind could only be imagined as a firm 

 structure, and the alleged fluid nature of protoplasm would 

 of course have been quite irreconcilable with such a view. 

 For a sponge soaked full of liquid, as one would have to figure 

 to oneself from the current views upon the reticular framework 

 of protoplasm, could not possibly exhibit the phenomena of 

 a fluid. Nevertheless, Berthold could not deny the appear- 

 ance of filaments in protoplasm, and, in fact, he has himself 

 observed them frequently since 1882 in living vegetable 

 protoplasm. On the other hand, he denies that these threads 

 are connected into a network, and that they form a continu- 

 ous framework ; he believes that, with regard to this' point, 

 he must rank himself with Flemrning, who represented the 

 same opinion. What these filamentous " torulous " struc- 

 tures in protoplasm really are, is not clear from Berthold's 

 discussions. As far as I am able to come to a decision on 

 this point, he places them in the same category as the 

 granular and other contents, which are separated from the 

 fluid ground substance of the protoplasm by processes of 

 desolution. On this point, however, he would depart widely 

 from Flemming's view, to an agreement with whom he attaches 

 great importance. On the whole, however, it is clear that 

 if filamentous solid bodies occurred in such quantities in the 

 protoplasm, as is the case according to Flemming, for instance, 

 and numerous other observers, the fluid character of the 

 protoplasm would certainly be completely lost. For if we 

 represent to ourselves a heap of solid filaments, which 

 are connected by layers of fluid about 0*5 to 1 //, in thick- 

 ness, the adhesion between the fluid and the filaments 

 must, without doubt, have the effect of causing the entire 

 lump of filaments to assume, at most, the character of a 

 plastic body, while protoplasm presents the nature of a 

 viscid fluid. For the rest, Berthold (p. 62) admits 

 that in protoplasm occasionally "products of differentia- 

 tion or precipitates may occur in the form of a fine 

 framework," although he himself never observed anything 

 of the kind. 



Opinions in many respects similar, only more indefinite, 



