94 THE CELL DOCTRINE. 



of germinal matter only, with a small quantity of 

 soft formed material intervening ; and to understand 

 the true relation of the cells to the intercellular sub- 

 stance, the tissue should be studied at different pe- 

 riods of its growth. 



So, too, a " cell " or elementary part of muscle or 

 nerve, would consist of a mass of germinal matter 

 (the eo-called nucleus), with a portion of muscular or 

 nervous tissue corresponding with it, and with which 

 it is uninterruptedly continuous. 



In the formation of the contractile tissue or muscle, 

 the germinal matter seems to move onward, under- 

 going conversion at its posterior part, into the mus- 

 cular tissue, while it maintains itself by absorbing 

 and converting pabulum. This will be understood by 

 reference to Fig. 18, of frontispiece. The fibres of 

 yellow elastic tissue are formed in precisely the same 

 manner. (See frontispiece. Fig. 14.) Nerve fibres, 

 which in their completed state consist almost wholly 

 of formed material, are similarly produced. In the 

 youn^ state, the fibre is composed of masses of germi- 

 nal matter, linearly arranged, and in close proximity. 

 As the conversion takes place and the fibre is pro- 

 duced, these become more widely separated, and the 

 tissue resulting from such conversion is nerve (fron- 

 tispiece, Fig. 15). 



The " Cell " or " Elementary Part " in Disease. 



Here, as in normal nutrition, the germinal matter 

 is alone active. It is impossible to state precisely 

 every instance, but it is probable that in the majority 



