60 THE CONNECTIVE TISSUES, BY A. ROLLETT. 



comes somewhat more distinct ; but there is no more evidence 

 of the presence of a membrane investing the cells as indicated 

 by a double contour line now than in the fresh state. In all 

 the cells the nucleus either becomes distinct, and presents a 

 vesicular appearance with a coagulated mass in its centre, or 

 loses its double contour, and appears coarsely granular 

 throughout its whole substance. The imbibition of a solution 

 of carmine renders these appearances still more distinct. From 

 such hardened connective tissue, isolated cells may be obtained 

 by teasing out the tissue with needles, and they may then pre- 

 sent very various forms. The most common is the fusiform, 

 very beautiful specimens of which may be obtained from the 

 tendons of children and young animals, where they are both 

 more numerous and more easily isolable than in those of adults,* 

 and also from the connective tissue sheaths of the nerves in 

 man and mammals. They may be obtained with equal facility 

 from the neurilemma of the nerve trunks of frogs, still better 

 from salamanders and tritons, and best of all from the proteus, 

 where they are extraordinarily large, and can be isolated with 

 the greatest ease ; such isolated fusiform cells often possess very 

 long nuclei, which are covered only by a thin layer of cell 

 substance. Fusiform cells of remarkable size may be obtained 

 from the tendon of the sterno-radial muscle (pre-sterno-clavi- 

 radial of Duge's). They are here of a greater length than in any 

 other tendon of the frog, and with their elongated nuclei call 

 to mind smooth muscular fibre. The nucleus of these cells is 

 on the average O0192 millimeters long and O0032 millimeters 

 broad. Their length is difficult to determine, on account of 

 both extremities ending in very fine and long processes. I 

 found the length of cells, which had been completely isolated 

 from the surrounding fibrous mass, to be in some instances as 

 much as O0960 millimeters. In the tendons of man, isolated 

 fusiform cells were 0'0320 millimeters long; the length of the 

 nucleus amounted to 0'0160 millimeters, and its breadth to 

 0-0048 millimeters. 



The cell substance of the fusiform cells is broader in young 



* Langhans, loc. cit. Grussendorf, Zeitschrift fur Rationette Medicin, 

 3 R, Bd. xxiv., p. 186. 



