The Interstitial Granules of Striated Muscle etc. 325 



malin. Fig. 5 is a section of the soleus stained fresh in Herxheimer's 

 solution ; Fig. 6 is a section of the same muscle similarly stained, after 

 5 days in 10 per cent formalin. Most of the liposomes are lost. After 

 ten days in this solution no liposomes could be demonstrated. 



It has been noted that liposomes staining either black or brown 

 with osmic acid, such as those of the winter frog, are seldom affected 

 by formalin. 



70 per cent alcohol has an effect essentially similar to that of 

 formalin but somewhat less rapid. No fixative was found which 

 preserves all the liposomes. 



The rapid action of the ordinay histological fixatives on the lipo- 

 somes large ly explains the fact that so many observers have failed to 

 find fat in the muscle fibers. 



The liposomes also largely disappear if the tissue be left 12 to 

 24 hours in water. It has not been determined in what way the lipo- 

 somes are removed by the fixatives. Probably their disappearance is 

 due to autolysis. 



d) Effect of inanition on the liposomes. Morpurgo [1899] states that 

 in pigeons starved to death the average diameter of the voluntary 

 muscle fibers is reduced from 33,« to 18.6/f (about 68 per cent loss in 

 volume); the cardiac fibers, from 9.2 /^i to 6.5(U (about 50 per cent loss 

 in volume). I have made a few observations on the size of the fibers in 

 emaciated cats and rats. In extreme cases there is a loss of volume of 

 at least 50 per cent. 



Knoll [1880] found that the "true fat droplets" (the strongly- 

 refractive granules) in the muscle fibers of pigeons are greatly reduced 

 by starvation. 



Knoll and Hauer [1892] studied the muscles of five pigeons after 

 complete starvation (6 to 14 days). In physiological salt solution, only 

 weakly-refractive granules were to be seen. No granules were blackened 

 by osmic acid. The granules were reduced in number — the reduction 

 being most marked in animals that lived longest. 



Statkewitch [1894] studied the tissues of a number of animals that 

 had been starved to death. He noted that in fresh preparations of the 



