1866.] 



Cells in Animal Bodies. 



317 



II. — Experimental Verification. 



In all the above-cited observations the existence of a viscid, imbibing 

 material was proved with almost conclusive evidence, — a viscid material 

 which is capable of forming globules of a definite size, and which in the 

 living organism actually forms such globules ; shapes, the nature of which 

 has been hitherto mistaken. 



After a long search, the substance known under the name of myeline was 

 found to be the desired material. 



When to myeline in its dry amorphous state water is added, slender 

 tubes are seen to shoot forth from all free margins. These are sometimes 

 wonderfully like nerve-tubes in appearance. They are most flexible and 

 plastic. From this curious tendency of shooting forth in a rectilinear 

 direction it was inferred that a crystaUizing force must be at work. 



To counteract this tendency, and to oblige the substance to crystallize 

 into globules, it was intimately mixed with white of egg. The result 

 was most perfect. Instead of tubes, splendid clear globules, layer after 

 layer, were formed, resembling closely those of the crystalline lens formed 

 under similar conditions. 



Here was actually found a viscid substance which, on imbibition, formed 

 globules of a definite size. 



The remaining task was comparatively an easy one. By mixing the 

 myeline with blood- serum, globules were obtained showing the most lively 

 molecular motion. 



When the serum somewhat] preponderated, the whole globules seemed, 

 after a while, to undergo coagulation, and appeared often as beautifully 

 and finely granulated as any real "cell." 



When this mixture of myeline and serum was spread very thinly over 

 the glass slide, there often started into existence, on the addition of water, 

 small primary globules, round which an irregular mass of granular mate- 

 rial became gradually detached from the glass slide. It at last shaped 

 itself into a secondary globule, enclosing the primary one, and constituting 

 with it, down to the minutest details, the most perfect typical "cell." In 

 many instances the nucleolus did not fail, and the narrow white margin, 

 so often mistaken for a cell-wall, was always present. Beautiful " mother- 

 cells" were formed in the same manner. 



The next endeavour was to form "cells" according to the second mode. 



If the amorphous myeline be very thinly spread on the glass slide, in- 

 stead of tubes there will form bodies looking like rings. They are actu- 

 ally double globules, the inner globule being more transparent than'^the 

 outer. They correspond to the inner and outer substance of the above- 

 mentioned tubes. When these are left to dry, and then again acted upon 

 with water, one portion will swell out into a clear globule, enclosing the 

 rest as "nucleus." These "nuclei" arc either large and single, hke those 



