CARTILAGES. 281 



ART. XIV. CARTILAGES. 



CARTILAGES are amongst the most solid structures entering 

 into the constitution of the animal organization ; they are, 

 however, not less remarkable for their elasticity and flexibility 

 than for their solidity. 



The essential element of the several fluids and solids 

 hitherto described in the course of this work we have seen to 

 be cells : this cellular composition is exhibited in a high degree 

 by cartilages. 



The texture and colour of the cartilaginous tissue varies 

 considerably : it presents either a white or bluish white, semi- 

 transparent and homogeneous appearance, or it is yellow, 

 and exhibits a fibrous texture. 



These differences of texture and of colour indicate a dif- 

 ference of structure, upon which a division of cartilages into 

 the true and fibro-cartilages has been based. 



TRUE CARTILAGES. 



True cartilages consist of cells, contained in cavities, which 

 are themselves formed in a solid and hyaline intercellular 

 substance. 



They comprise all those cartilages which cover the articular 

 extremities of the bones (that of the glenoid fossa and of the 

 head of the inferior maxilla alone excepted), the cartilages 

 of the entire respiratory apparatus (with the exception of 

 the epiglottis and the cuneiform cartilages), those cartilages 

 which are to a considerable extent free and independent, and 

 which have been denominated figured cartilages, as those of 

 the ribs, the ensiform cartilage ; the trochlea of the eye, the 

 nasal cartilages, and the Corpuscula triticea in the lateral 

 hyo-thyroid ligaments. (See Plate XXX. Jigs. 1 and 2.) 



A A 2 



