222 BIOPLASM OF MUSCLE. 



is fractured transversely. Shortly before death the 

 spasm of the muscle was so violent as to cause its 

 rupture, and portions of the broken and contracted 

 sarcous matter may be seen within the sarcolemma 

 of every fibre of the muscle. A corresponding ap- 

 pearance is often seen in the muscles of persons who 

 have died of tetanus. 



265. The bioplasm of muscle. The proportion of 

 bioplasm or germinal matter to the formed material in 

 fully formed muscular tissue is considerably less than 

 in many other textures a fact which is conclusive 

 in favour of the view that muscle is not a rapidly 

 changing tissue. Many years ago I taught, contrary 

 to the chemical doctrine then in high favour, that 

 muscular contraction was not to be explained by 

 the disintegration and oxidation of the tissue itself; 

 and I also showed that the conjecture advanced from 

 the chemical side, namely, that muscular tissue was 

 removed and replaced within a very short period of 

 time, was not supported by facts. Those who 

 advocated this strange notion did not attempt to 

 show how so large a quantity of a highly elaborate 

 tissue was removed and replaced. Had they inquired, 

 they would soon have been convinced that no means 

 existed by which the necessary amount of tissue 

 could be replaced or developed within the time 

 allowed. Further observation has, however, satisfied 

 chemists that the conclusion was erroneous, and 

 now a very different doctrine prevails, which, how- 

 ever, if not equally untenable, is almost as impro- 

 bable as that which it replaces. 



The larger size and greater number of the masses 

 of bioplasm in proportion to the amount of tissue in 

 young muscular fibres, as compared with fully deve- 

 loped ones, is well seen in some of my specimens, par- 

 ticularly No. 105, in which two elementary muscular 

 fibres one from a pig at birth, and the other from a 

 pig three months old have been mounted together 



