41 



MODELS OF MULTIPOLAR CELLS.' 



Professor A. L. ELerrkra, to whose curious experiments 

 on the production of artificial simulations of organic structures 

 we referred in February last (vol. xii., p. 74), has sent to us 

 from the National Museum at Mexico an account of a new re 

 suit he has obtained. He noticed accidentally that when a gre- 

 asy solid is lightly dabbed with abrush dipped in a viscous li- 

 quid, the liquid rapidly assumes the form of a net work of multi- 

 polar ganglion cells. He sent us along with the letter a shallow 

 tin box, the bottom of which, on its inner surface had been 

 greased with butter and then had received an application of 

 some coloured viscous fluid. This fluid had assumed the configu- 

 ration of a group of multipolar cells, and when it reached us, 

 still retained that appearance. Dr. Herrera wishes to correlate 

 this observation 'with the older experiments npou the artificial 

 production of nervous simulacra out; of myelin, as described in 

 Robin's treatise on the microscope (Paris, 1871, p. 569). We 

 are not prepared to go soNfar as the Professor in believing that 

 such experiments throw light upon histogenesis, but they are 

 interesting and ingenious. 



"Natural Science." London, August 1898. 



SYNTHETIC PEOTOPLASM. 



Professor Herrera also sent us a letter containing an 

 account of some experiments he has made on what he calls, a 

 "synthetic protoplasm" made by him by mixing pepsine, pepto- 



Rcviata {1897-1S98J — 6 



