VARIETIES OF CONNECTIVE TISSUE. GO 



On the other hand, the Ligamentum pectinatum of animals (ox 

 sheep, pig), differs from that of man in being composed of con- 

 nective tissue, with which many elastic fibres are intermingled. 

 The gradual modification the trabeculse of the Ligamentum 

 pectinatum undergo at the point where they become continuous 

 with the membrane of Descemet in man, is worthy of particular 

 remark, as it can be clearly seen to occur, especially in new- 

 born infants. The trabeculse widen out ; the meshes diminish 

 in diameter, and, near the membrane of the vitreous humour, 

 only present small interstices. In human embryoes of about 

 the fifth month, the Ligamentum pectinatum can be still seen 

 to be composed of cells which give off broad processes, commu- 

 nicating with one another in the same way that the trabeculse 

 do at a later period. In some of these cells the nucleus, which 

 subsequently vanishes, is already small, dull in appearance, and 

 ill-defined, though in others it is still granular and distinct. 

 The latter features are well brought out in preparations 

 coloured with carmine. A great number of beautifully 

 defined stellate cells occupy the interspaces of the trabecula? 

 of the Ligamentum pectinatum just described. 



e. There still remains to be mentioned the connective tissue 

 supporting masses which occur in various places, and are com- 

 posed of fusiform and stellate cells. The best example we can 

 adduce of this is the connective tissue in the interior of the 

 kidneys.* This does not present any proper reticulum com- 

 parable to that of the previously described forms. In 

 sections of the organ from which the gland tubes have been 

 removed by pencilling, a connective tissue meshwork can 

 indeed be exhibited ; but it may also be seen that its trabeculse 

 form a laminated mass, supporting or investing the tubuli of 

 the gland, in which fusiform and stellate cells lie closely congre- 

 gated together. Bolrf has recently described and represented 



* A Seer, die Bindesubstanz der menschlichen Niere, etc., " The Con- 

 nective Tissue of the Human Kidney," etc. Berlin, 1859. Isaac's Recherche* 

 sur la Structure et la Physiologic du Rein, Journal de la Physiologic, T. i. 

 Paris, 1858, p. 577. KoUiker, Handbuch der Gewebelehre. Leipzig, 1866, 

 p. 509. 



t Archiv fur Mikroskopische Anatomic, Band iv., p. 146, T. i. 



