42 THE STRUCTURE OF THE SEROUS MEMBRANES. 



tire not to be confounded with the fibres of the areolar texture, or 

 with elastic filaments, or with the nuclei of the capillary vessels of 

 the sub-serous texture, or with paler, ovoidal, somewhat indistinct 

 cells, scattered throughout that texture, and which appear to be 

 connected with the common areolar fibres. 



These flattened ribbon-shaped scales, and bright crystalline 

 nuclei, which from the germinal or basement membrane of the 

 serous coat appear to be identical with the objects described by 

 Valentin,* Pappenheim,t and Henle,| and named by the latter 

 nucleated fibres. 



In inflamed or aged serous membranes, I have found it im- 

 possible to detect this membrane, or even the super-imposed 

 scales. The germinal membrane in such instances appears to 

 break up into areolar texture, and to assimilate itself to the 

 bursse mucosse, or the ordinary enlarged areolse of the areolar 

 texture. 



If these germinal centres be the sources of all the scales of the 

 superficial layer, each centre being the source of the scales of its 

 own compartment, then the matter necessary for the formation 

 of these during their developement must pass from the capillary 

 vessels to each of the centres, acted on by forces whose centres of 

 action are the germinal spots; each of the scales, after being 

 detached from its parent centre, deriving its nourishment by its 

 own inherent powers. 



I have been in the habit of considering the highly vascular 

 fringes and processes of the synovia! membranes as more active 

 in the formation of epithelium, and therefore more closely allied 

 to the secreting organs than other portions of these membranes. 

 If this be the case, Clopton Havers was not mistaken in his ideas 

 regarding the functions of these vascular fringes. They are 

 situated where they cannot interfere with the motions of the 

 joint. They hang into those parts of the cavity best fitted for 

 containing and acting as reservoirs of synovia ; and their high 



* Valentin. " Repertorium" 1838. 



f Pappenheim. " Zur Kentniss der Verdawung" 1839. 



J Henle. " Anatomie Allgemeiw" 



Clopton Havers. " Osteologia A'om," 1691. 



