376 Literary Notices. 



body of the cell, and a fibre or fibres continuous with the circinn- 

 ferential part of the cell, which is coiled spirally round the straight 

 fibre. 4. These two fibres often lying very near to, and in some 

 cases, when the spiral is very lax, nearly parallel with each other, 

 at length pass towards the periphery in opposite directions. 



5. Ganglion cells exhibit different characters, according to their 

 age. In the youngest cells neither of the fibres exhibit a spiral 

 arrangement : in fully formed cells there is a considerable extent of 

 spiral fibre ; but in old cells the number of coils is much greater. 



6. These ganglion cells may be formed in three ways, a, from a gran- 

 ular mass, like that which forms the early condition of all struc- 

 tures ; b, by the division or splitting up of a mass like a single 

 ganglion cell, but before the mass has assumed the complete and 

 perfect form ; c, by changes occurring in what appears to be the 

 nucleus of a nerve fibre .... 8. There are nuclei in the body of 



the cell 9. The matter of which the nucleus is composed 



has been termed by me germinal matter. From it alone growth 



takes place 10. The nucleolus consists of germinal matter. 



.... 15. As nerve fibres grow old, the soluble matters are ab- 

 sorbed, leaving a fibrous material which is known as connective 

 tissue, and corresponding change is observed in other textures both 

 in health and disease." 



We are very glad that the two lectures called " First Principles," 

 and " On Deficiency of Vital Power," have been published in a 

 cheap pamphlet form, because, whatever doubt may attach to certain 

 portions of Dr. Beale's speculations, the facts which he adduces and 

 very much of his reasoning appear to us essential to the right 

 understanding of many highly important problems. Instead of 

 vaguely telling his pupils that irritation excites inflammation, he 

 shows that in a normal state what he terms " germinal matter," 

 in living cells, receives and converts a regulated portion of nutri- 

 ment from without. By softening the layer of what he terms 

 " formed material," which surrounds the germinal matter, or by 

 tearing through the formed material, an abnormal quantity of 

 pabulum is introduced, and an excessive action of the germinal 

 matter takes place that is not consistent with the health of tbo 

 organism of which the cells form a part. " The abnormal pus cor- 

 puscle is produced from the germinal or living matter of a normal 

 epithetial cell, in consequence of the germinal matter of this cell 

 being supplied with pabulum much more freely than in the normal 

 state." 



In the other lecture Dr. Beale layfl down the proposition that all 

 living particles have sprung from pre-existing living matter. It 

 cannot bo said that we know this; but, it may be true. "Each 

 separate particle increases, nut, by particles already existing being 

 applied to it, or coalescing with it, but by the passago of soluble 

 matters into its very substance, and their conversion into matter of 

 the same kind." Arguing logically from the premisses WO have 

 extracted, Dr. Beale contends that pns cells, cancer cells, and so 

 forth, exhibit a high, and not a low degree of vital activity. 



Diseaso often differs from health oidy in the too great activity 



