STRIATED MUSCULAK FIBRE. 397 



Per cent. 



Albumen (and caseine) . . . 2.2 to 3.0 



Creatine . . . ... . . 0.07 to 0.14 



Creatinine (undetermined). 



Inosic acid (do.). 



Fat, within the myolemmata and in the 



blood between the perimysia . . 1.5 to 2.3 



Lactic acid (C fl H 5 5 .HO) . . . 0.6 to 0.68 



Phosphoric acid . . . . . 0.66 to 0.70 



Potassa . . . . . . . 0.50 to 0.54 



Soda 0.07 to 0.09 



Chloride of sodium (potassium) . . 0.04 to 0.09 



Lime 0.02 to 0.03 



Magnesia . . . . . . 0.04 to 0.05 



The color of muscular fibre is due not to the blood in the ves- 

 sels, but to a peculiar pigment, very similar to the haematine of the 

 blood, but probably not identical with it. At least, it adheres in a 

 free state to the fibrillse, since it may be extracted from them by 

 water, and coagulates with the albumen of the muscular fluid. It 

 is not essential to contractility; since the muscles of many animals 

 are white, though perhaps as vascular as the red muscles of other 

 species. 



Another physical property of striated muscular tissue elasticity 

 will be described in the next section. 



Distribution of Striated Muscular Fibre. 



The striated muscular fibre is the peculiar tissue of the muscles 

 properly so called ; while none of the latter are ever formed of the 

 smooth fibre, as already stated. It is, therefore, distributed : 



1. In all the muscles proper in the body, including the internal 

 (diaphragm, levator ani, those of the eyeball, &c.), as well as those 

 of the head, neck, trunk, and extremities. 



2. In the heart and the great veins opening into it the inferior 

 cava to the diaphragm, and the superior cava, and the innominata?, 

 to the clavicles. 



3. Scattered striated fibres are found in the oesophagus, and also 

 in the round ligaments of the uterus mixed with the smooth 

 fibres. 



