Sir EvERARD Home on the structure of a muscular fibre, &c. 65 



ease complete the discovery by an actual examination of 

 muscular fibres in the microscope. 



Under this impression, I requested the President to appoint 

 me to give this Lecture, wrhich is to be read nearly at the 

 same time my paper on ganglions will be published ; so that 

 no one will have an earlier opportunity of applying what is 

 said of nerves in that communication to muscular fibres, the 

 consideration of which is the object of the present Lecture. 



In Mr. Bauer's former examination of muscular structure, 

 that the integrant fibre might be more easily separated from 

 the fasciculus to which it belonged, we had gone into the 

 same error with those physiologists who have made diagrams 

 of the internal appearance of the brain, after coagulation, 

 and had boiled the muscle previous to the examination ; not 

 being aware that this process must decompose red globules, 

 should any exist, and cause the colouring matter to be sepa- 

 rated. Boiling would also destroy any connecting medium 

 by which the globules are united together ; so that, if I may 

 use the expression, there would only be the skeleton of a 

 muscular fibre remaining to be examined. 



Upon the present occasion, therefore, the fibres belonging 

 to the fasciculi that compose the great muscle that lies upon 

 the back of the bullock's neck, to raise the head, were 

 selected, and were examined in 24 hours after the animal 

 was killed ; and we know that in all violent deaths, the 

 muscular fibres continue capable of contraction beyond that 

 period, after apparent death has taken place. 



In this muscle the fasciculi are more loosely connected 

 together than in almost any other animal body ; and in the 

 interstices between them there is no fat ; but Mr. Bauer 



MDCCCXXVI. K 



