396 THE TISSUES. 



respect, of the muscular fluid and the alkaline blood circulating 

 through the muscle, either occasions, or is occasioned by, an elec- 

 trical current; which, it is implied, may be the exciting cause of 

 muscular contraction a proposition we hesitate to adopt. Experi- 

 ments, however, point to the conclusion that muscle loses its power 

 of contraction in proportion as its fluid is diluted. 



II. After the muscular fluid is removed by pressure from the 

 myolemma, the solid substance of the fibrils still remains. This is 

 an albuminous substance, soluble in extremely dilute hydrochloric 

 acid, 1 and is the most essential element of muscular tissue. It has 

 already been described as musculine (p. 97). It exists equally in 

 striated fibre and in the muscular fibre-cells, and the vital property 

 of contractility doubtless inheres in it, wherever found. There is 

 less of it within the myolemma of young than of adult animals. 



III. The chemical relation which the myolemma bears to the in- 

 closed cylinder of musculine has not been determined; but the 

 substance^of the nuclei inclosed in it does not differ much from 

 musculine. (Lehmann.) From what precedes, there will be less 

 musculine, in proportion, in young animals. In the contractile 

 fibre-cells, on the other hand, the myolemma is absent, or at least 

 is generally not demonstrable (p. 384). 



Of the three distinct substances included in the analysis of muscu- 

 lar tissue the myolemma, the muscular fluid, and the musculine 

 the last alone is an immediate principle. It is impossible to isolate 

 the muscular tissue entirely from the bloodvessels and their con- 

 tents, from the areolar tissue in the muscular sheaths, and from fat 

 between the myolemmata. After instituting all practicable pre- 

 cautions, Lehmann found the following as the average result of his 

 analyses of the muscular substance, more especially of oxen : 



Per cent. 



"Water . . . . . 74.0 to 80.0 



Solid constituents 26.0 to 20.0 



100.0 100.0 



Per cent. 



Muscular fibre (musculine) . . . 15.4 to 17.7 

 Gelatigenous substance (myolemmata and 



perimysia) 0.6 to 1.9 



1 One part to one thousand of water. 



