FIBRILLAR CONNECTIVE TISSUE. 79 



bundles running in the most various directions. This form occurs; 

 but not exclusively, in the interstitial connective tissue of various 

 organs, as well as in the amorphous connective, tissue of Henle,* 

 whilst the kinds previously described preponderate in the formed 

 connective tissue of Henle. Henle himself, however, has not 

 attempted to draw a very sharp line of distinction between them. 



Differences between the connective tissue of different organs 

 not only occur in regard to the arrangement of the fasciculi, 

 as we have already remarked, but the fasciculi themselves 

 show varieties, so that in certain organs the fine fibrils 

 appear in all transverse sections of a fasciculus arranged 

 parallel to one another, and at equal and very small distances, 

 resembling the straight or slightly sinuous edge of a fasciculus, 

 whilst in other instances the fibrils are collected into smaller 

 fasciculi, the borders of which present very close undulations, 

 and which are more loosely arranged. On this account, when 

 treated with lime and baryta- water, the first kind of fasciculi 

 immediately splits into fibrils, whilst the second divides in the 

 first instance into sections, and these again break up into fibrils. 



I have already elsewhere observedf that these differences are 

 most clearly discernible on making a comparative examination 

 of the sclerotic and conjunctiva of the same eye. 



Fasciculi of the former kind occur in the tissues that were 

 formerly called fibrous. Fasciculi of the latter kind in ordinary 

 connective tissue. 



A few remarks may here be made in regard to the lacunae 

 or interstices of connective tissue. 



It is impossible for any one who has carefully examined the 

 structure of this tissue to doubt that interfibrillar fissures occur 

 in it. It is also extremely easy to perceive that the collagenous 

 substance is not in equally intimate contact in all parts of a 

 given portion, or, in other words, that it does not everywhere 

 cohere with equal firmness. The varieties in the arrangement 

 of the fibrils and of the fasciculi, and the results of the disinte- 

 gration which occurs with lime and baryta- water also clearly 

 prove this, especially in those forms of connective tissue where 



* Allgemeine Anatomic, p. 354. 

 f Loc. cit., p. 58. 



