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1905.|] Silver Reaction in Animal and Vegetable Tissues. 219 
with the reaction, that the latter is due to an albuminous layer, “ an albu- 
minous cement substance,” adhering to the edges of the cells, and which can be 
washed away. 
Legros* was of the view that in the treatment with the reagent the whole 
cell received a slight stain, and that the dark lines were the contact surfaces 
of two feebly stained cells. Feltzt held that all the silver lines are artificial 
products, basing this view largely on the fact that in membranes made from 
albumin and collodion, similar reticula may be obtained by treatment with 
silver, and like figures were produced by Severint on surfaces which contained 
no epithelium. Soboroff§ accepted Von Recklinghausen’s view which, how- 
ever, Reichl] rejected, holding that the silver lines do not originate from 
cement substance, but in part from a fluid between the cells, but what the 
nature of the precipitate is he did not decide. Robinskif also does not admit 
the existence of a cement material, and he found that the cell borders, in e.g., 
the epithelium of Descemet’s membrane, colour first, then the reaction slowly 
advances into the cytoplasm, and finally the whole cell is stained, which ought 
not to be the case if Von Recklinghausen’s views are correct. A cement 
substance is unnecessary to bring about contact and adhesion of cells to each 
other. According to Alferow** the silver precipitate, which colours under the 
influence of light, is a mixture of the chloride and the albuminate, as the 
free acids (picric, acetic, lactic, and citric) which he used dissolve all the other 
precipitates. Adamkiewicz,ff on the other hand, held that the silver lines 
are albuminate of silver only, and that they are laid down in a cement. 
substance. 
The reagent was also employed by Ranvier very much in his histological 
researches, but he has ventured no explanation of its action. 
* “Note sur lépithélium des vaisseaux sanguins,” ‘ Jour. de l’Anat. et de la Phys.,’ 1868 
p. 275. 
t “Recherches expérimentales sur le passage des leucocytes 4 travers les parois: 
vasculaires,” ‘ Jour. de Anat. et de la Phys.,’ 1870, p. 33. 
t “ Beitrige zu der Lehre von Entziindungen,” ‘ Diss.,’ Dorpat, 1871. 
§ “Untersuchungen iiber den Bau normaler und ectatischer Venen,” ‘ Arch. fiir path. 
Anat. und Physiol.,’ vol. 54, p. 137, 1871. 
|| “‘ Hinige mikroskopische Studien mit Silbersalpeterlésung besonders an Gefidssen des. 
Auges und anderer Organe,” ‘ Sitzber. d. Wiener Akad., 1873, vel. 67, p. 81. 
“I “Recherches microscopiques sur l’épithéle et sur les vaisseaux lymphatiques. 
eapillaires,” ‘Arch. d. Physiol.,’ 1869, p. 451; also “Die Kittsubstanz auf Reaction des. 
Argent. nitric.,” ‘ Arch. f. Anat.,’ 1871, p. 184. 
** “Nouveaux procédés pour les imprégnations 4 l’argent,” ‘Arch. de Physiol.,’ 1874, 
p. 694. 
tt “ Ueber die Behandlung von Gefissen mit Silbernitratlésung,” ‘Berl. Klin. Woch.,” 
1874, p. 355. 
Q 2 
