THE CARMINE PROCESS. 63 



material became at once evident, arid all the difficulties and 

 confusion respecting cell wall, contents, intercellular substance, 

 the division of tissues into cellular and non-cellular, were 

 removed. Then followed the comparison of the several tissues 

 at different ages, and no other conclusion than that which I 

 formed was left for the mind to accept. My pupils received 

 these views at once, and no one who saw series of specimens 

 could refuse to give up the old ideas " (MS. letter). 



The rationale of this process is as follows. We have 

 seen that, with Beale, as with Fletcher, the protoplasm 

 or living matter is in a state of combination totally 

 distinct from that which it assumes at the moment of 

 death. When that is rapid, as we have seen, there 

 result formless masses of the proximate principles in 

 which only the characters common to the proximate 

 organic products of all living matter are discernible, 

 while the minute differences of it in the living state 

 are not recognizable by chemistry at present. One 

 character common to all kinds is " an acid reaction." 



Dr. Beale says (" Microscope," 4th edit., p. 107), " The 

 living matter possesses an acid reaction, or, to speak 

 more correctly, an acid reaction is always developed 

 immediately after its death." But as in life all bio- 

 plasts contain some products of vital action, which 

 goes on incessantly, we may expect that in parts in 

 which rapid activity goes on the living matter may be 

 described as acid. Accordingly, it is stated by Ranke 

 (p. 11, "Physiologie," 1872) : 



" In the animal cell also the chief activity of cell chemistry 

 seems to originate in the nucleus. We see the vital activities 

 of the organs run their course with the formation of organic 

 acids, e.g., lactic acid, the production of which is copious in 

 proportion to the heightened activity t)f the organs. Hence we 



