THE CELL DOCTRINE. 143 



a splitting up of the cells into fibres does not occur, 

 but that a previously homogeneous intercellular sub- 

 stance becomes fibrillated, and that the cells them- 

 selves preserve their integrity. In young connective 

 tissue, cells uudoubtedly exist, with at least their 

 more important parts as nuclei and protoplasm, but 

 in fully formed fibrous tissue the only portion of the 

 cell which I have been able to satisfy myself, in an 

 almost daily study of healthy and diseased struc- 

 tures, is constantly present, is the nucleus. 



Max Schultze, in Germany, Beale, in England, and 

 Leidy, in this country, believe the intercellular sub- 

 stance to originate as the cell-contents and cell-wall 

 by a conversion of the nucleus or bioplasm at its 

 periphery, and a pushing oft" of this converted 

 matter by the deposition of new bioplasm within the 

 nucleus. In fact, according to them, the intercellu- 

 lar substance is simply the oldest cell-wall or formed 

 material, under which term Beale consistently in- 

 cludes all intercellular substance. See Figs. 11, 12, 

 frontispiece. 



This view seems to me also to be most consistent 

 with observation, and until something more reason- 

 able is oftered I shall adopt it. One of the most 

 potent arguments in its favor is the fact that the 

 cell-wall and intercellular substance are often so 

 closely continftous that they cannot be separated, 

 either visually or by dissection. On this account 

 Beale has also described a " cell " or " elementary 

 part " of cartilage and similar structures, as includ- 

 ing in its formed material the intercellular substance 

 extending to a point midway between it and its 

 neighbor. 



