94 Reviews and Records in Anatomy and Physiology. 
a great number of very pheno prepared specimens of this 
tissue taken from various animals.* 
But with all these Sesad qth we have failed to detect any ap 
pearance in muscular fibrilla indicating its spiral structure as ad- 
vanced by Dr. Barry. is has been the result of all our exam- 
inations notwithstanding single fibrille in both a relaxed aud a 
contracted state, have been subjected to an amplyfying power of 
more than 1000 diameters. 
On the other hand we have not unfrequently observed appear- 
ances of the stric of the fibrille, which, at first, and especially 
when a power of not more than 300 diameters is used, look re- 
markably like a spiral a ; but, by doubling the amplifies 
tion the illnsion ts dispelled, the curions appearance is showa 
to be referable to a peculiar cancer ora kind of dislocation 
of the disc-like elements of fibrillee. By a little rough treatment 
of separated fibrille in water, these appearances may often be 
produced to almost any extent. It is not uncommon to see the 
spiral appearance run one way half the fibrilla, and then change 
and run the opposite the remaining half. But the effect is most 
delusive when the disc-like elements of the fibrilla are not only 
turned awry lateraily in a regular manner, but are also slightly 
tilted up. These same changes taking place i in a bundle of fibrillee 
or a fibre, and occurring with a nice coaptation throughout, 
give to the whole fibre a very spiral-like aspect.¢ Other appear- 
ances than these, eae. a complicated spiral-composition © 
this tissue, we have never observed, and from what we have ob- 
served both of the daeslojanent and of the mature se perg: of 
muscular fibre in all its forms, we can give no credence to the 
doctrines of Dr. Barry, and we say this without the aaa diserutt 
of our instruments, specimens, and opportunities, 
The view of Kolliker upon the composition of the musculat 
fibrilla, is, in one sense, the very antithesis of the one we have just 
noticed, for he thinks that it has no structure at all, but isa homo- 
geneous formation. Hesays: “ The fibrillz are com posed of asub- 
stance which, although but little, is yet very perfectly elastic, and 
is therefore capable, from mechanical influence, of a very ¢ onside- 
rable elongation and subsequent shortening. In the aad con- 
dition, they are smooth and thin; but, when contracted, they are 
* The specim issue we have wed be Rion examinati ions, W 
prepared for us hy Dr. Deke s a Boston ingenuity in su ia 
things, an @ eee ‘in a. for beauty. 7 fovea on of the oid faaoe struc- 
ture, as ‘wall as for the completeness of preservation, exceed by we have 
before 
+ A Aube n his account of the f the th uscles ects has al 
alluded to this point, Her rs of his gure very well representa he opal ike #9 - 
rance of t ille seen eigen 
power. Ue thu 
tructur der Thoraxmuskeln der eaahiek op gs and Koélliker’ tsch. £ wis 
sensch. Zool., iv, p. 388, Taf. xv, fig. u, 5, and rv, 5 tw 
