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MULTIPLE NEUROMATA OF THE CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM. 753 
It will be necessary later to note the exact point of origin of these fibres, which 
could thus with certainty be traced into relation to the emerging anterior root zone. 
Meanwhile, having indicated that bundles of fibres have passed laterally in the pia 
from this region, we pass to observe similar bundles passing ventrally in the pia, and 
eurving round the antero-mesial border of the white matter into the anterior fissure. 
The large nodule, represented in fig. 29, stained with Cajal’s axis-cylinder stain, 
when traced downwards, showed that it retained its whorl-arrangement and its size 
unreduced through several successive sections. This seemed to indicate that it had 
an elongated spindle-shape rather than a circular form. It then gradually lessened in 
diameter, and almost suddenly showed a commencing cleft which, in later sections, 
became almost complete. In each of the two nodules thus formed, there was a small 
vessel cut obliquely, an indication that the larger nodule had been in relation to a 
vessel and that this division was due to its branching. The two smaller nodules lasted 
through only two or three sections, and broke up into radiating fibres just at the 
border of the grey and white matter. Some of the fibres took the course almost 
exactly of fibres of the normal anterior root bundles, but none could be traced to the 
periphery of the cord. These radiating fibres are similar to those described earlier as 
finely calibred fibres with a pink outline of connective tissue. 
If this nodule is traced upwards, it is found that it lessened in volume more 
rapidly, and in eight or ten paraffin sections had assumed the shape of a wedge in 
close relation to a vessel. In successive higher sections the commissural vessels, as 
they curved into the grey matter from the base of the anterior fissure, contained very 
numerous strands of fine fibres (fig. 31). ‘These rapidly diminished in number in the 
anterior fissure, and in higher sections only two strands, composed each of from four 
to six fibres, could be found, and these were followed in the pial vessels between the 
anterior fissure and the converging anterior roots. A linking with anterior roots could 
not be traced in this case, but in numerous others it could with certainty be confirmed 
that the fibres seemed to emerge in the immediate vicinity of the anterior roots. 
These, the two first nodules which came under observation, stained respectively for 
medullated sheath and axis-cylinder, were typical of large numbers of nodules in the 
grey and white matter. 
It is necessary to supplement this description by referring to Van Gieson-stained 
preparations. ‘These showed that the fibres, immediately on their leaving the region 
of the anterior roots, had a similar but more delicate structure and an increased number 
of nuclei. The pia, especially opposite the ligamentum denticulatum, showed even 
more fibres than in Weigert preparations. Figure 22 represents the same nodule as 
that just traced serially (fig. 35), and shows the very large number of nuclei related to 
the fibres. Similar nodules in relation to a lateral vessel (fig. 20), and toa commis- 
sural vessel (fig. 21), could be followed in a manner exactly comparable to those already 
described, the strands of fibres in the commissural vessels in successive sections show- 
ing the increasing intertwining and nodule formation of fig. 21. 
TRANS. ROY. SOC. EDIN., VOL. XLVIII. PART III. (NO. 27). 108 
