



DEVELOPMENT OF CONNECTIVE TISSUES. 91 



embryonic mass which is destined to form connective tissue, 

 either all increase in the process of development to fusiform 

 cells of considerable length, at the same time separating from one 

 another in such a mode that at first a small, but subsequently 

 gradually increasing number of fibrils appear between them, as 

 in the tendons, or that at first a transparent, interruptedly 

 striated substance occurs in great quantity, in which the fibrils 

 become apparent at a later period, as in the peritoneum. This 

 is what, in brief, I believe every one may convince himself of. 



As regards the significance of the large quantity of homo- 

 geneous substance which undergoes fibrillation in the peri- 

 toneum, with coincident elongation of the cells, it is difficult to 

 make any positive statement. It can only be said, with cer- 

 tainty, that the fibrils originate at the expense of a large con- 



uous mass by a kind of transmutation.* 



Further investigation has shown the original interpretation of 

 Schwann to be the correct one, and that the nbrillse of connective tissue 

 take their origin from elongated cells, either by the splitting up of 

 the cell body into fine fibrillae, or by the body of the cell becoming 

 drawn out into one long fibrilla.f 



The most probable view then is, that the homogeneous in- 

 termediate substance which appears at a certain stage of deve- 

 lopment in the peritoneal lamina originates in a continuous 

 metamorphosis, extending irregularly towards the central por- 

 tion of the rapidly enlarging cell substance of the formative 

 cells. The lamina thus originating in the fusion of the 

 metamorphosed cell substance becomes secondarily perforated 

 with smooth-edged foramina, whilst a continuous conversion 

 into fibrils takes place. 



* I extract from a letter of Babuchin to Strieker that Babuchin has con- 

 vinced himself of the development of cells into fibrils in the gelatinous 

 tissue of Fishes. He admits, however, that what he terms Fibrils, under 

 certain circumstances contracted themselves towards the nucleus of the 

 cells which became round, and then commenced anew to send forth pro- 

 cesses. This latter statement furnishes me with the strongest evidence that 

 Babuchin in his preparations has not had to deal with the fibrils of con- 

 nective tissue. 



f Breslauer, Max Schultze's Archiv, Band v., 1869. 



K 



