﻿1875.] 
  On 
  Traumatic 
  Inflammation 
  of 
  Connective 
  Tissue. 
  309 
  

  

  March 
  11, 
  1875. 
  

   JOSEPH 
  D 
  ALTON 
  HOOKER, 
  C.B., 
  President, 
  in 
  the 
  Chair. 
  

  

  The 
  Presents 
  received 
  were 
  laid 
  on 
  the 
  table, 
  and 
  thanks 
  ordered 
  for 
  

   them. 
  

  

  The 
  following 
  Papers 
  were 
  read 
  : 
  — 
  

  

  I. 
  " 
  On 
  Traumatic 
  Inflammation 
  of 
  Connective 
  Tissue/' 
  By 
  G. 
  

   Thin, 
  M.D. 
  Communicated 
  by 
  Professor 
  Huxley, 
  Sec. 
  R.S. 
  

   Received 
  February 
  6, 
  1875. 
  

  

  (Abstract.) 
  

  

  The 
  author, 
  referring 
  to 
  observations 
  recorded 
  in 
  his 
  previous 
  papers, 
  

   distinguishes 
  in 
  the 
  cornea 
  primary 
  bundles 
  of 
  fibrillary 
  tissue, 
  which 
  are 
  

   covered 
  by 
  elongated 
  flat 
  cells, 
  layers 
  of 
  quadrangular 
  flat 
  cells 
  (which 
  

   are 
  analogous 
  in 
  appearance 
  and 
  relative 
  position 
  to 
  the 
  layers 
  of 
  cells 
  

   described 
  by 
  him 
  as 
  investing 
  the 
  secondary 
  and 
  tertiary 
  bundles 
  of 
  

   tendon), 
  and 
  the 
  stellate 
  cells. 
  To 
  these 
  he 
  now 
  adds 
  a 
  description 
  of 
  

   parallel 
  chains 
  of 
  spindle 
  cells, 
  each 
  cell 
  having 
  two 
  processes, 
  one 
  at 
  

   each 
  end 
  of 
  the 
  spindle, 
  by 
  which 
  it 
  is 
  joined 
  to 
  its 
  fellows 
  on 
  either 
  side. 
  

   These 
  cells 
  are 
  coextensive 
  with 
  the 
  cornea-substance, 
  and 
  are 
  present 
  in 
  

   every 
  interspace 
  of 
  the 
  primary 
  bundles, 
  and, 
  consequently, 
  layers 
  in 
  

   different 
  planes 
  cross 
  each 
  other 
  at 
  an 
  angle. 
  

  

  They 
  can 
  be 
  occasionally 
  seen 
  in 
  thin 
  vertical 
  sections 
  of 
  the 
  fresh 
  

   frog's 
  cornea, 
  treated 
  in 
  osmic 
  acid 
  ; 
  and 
  from 
  such 
  preparations 
  a 
  cell 
  

   with 
  its 
  terminal 
  processes 
  can 
  be 
  sometimes 
  isolated. 
  They 
  are 
  more 
  

   easily 
  seen 
  in 
  similar 
  sections 
  which 
  have 
  been 
  15-30 
  minutes 
  in 
  half 
  

   per 
  cent, 
  solution 
  of 
  chloride 
  of 
  gold 
  and 
  then 
  sealed 
  up 
  in 
  concentrated 
  

   acetic 
  acid 
  and 
  examined 
  24-48 
  hours 
  afterwards. 
  

  

  They 
  have 
  no 
  anatomical 
  continuity 
  with 
  the 
  stellate 
  cells. 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  fresh 
  frog's 
  cornea 
  examined 
  entire 
  in 
  serum, 
  the 
  structure, 
  

   looked 
  at 
  through 
  the 
  anterior 
  epithelium, 
  can 
  be 
  seen 
  to 
  be 
  broken 
  up 
  

   by 
  clefts, 
  the 
  borders 
  of 
  which 
  have 
  a 
  double 
  contour. 
  These 
  clefts 
  

   extend 
  from 
  the 
  epithelium 
  to 
  a 
  varying 
  depth 
  into 
  the 
  fibrillary 
  tissue. 
  

   They 
  are 
  arranged 
  sometimes 
  concentrically, 
  and 
  sometimes 
  in 
  waving 
  

   hues 
  which 
  give 
  off 
  branches 
  which 
  are 
  narrower 
  as 
  they 
  approach 
  the 
  

   centre 
  of 
  the 
  cornea. 
  The 
  double- 
  contoured 
  borders 
  are 
  not 
  parallel 
  to 
  

   the 
  median 
  plane 
  of 
  the 
  cornea, 
  and 
  can 
  be 
  traced 
  only 
  by 
  changing 
  the 
  

   focus. 
  

  

  Prom 
  the 
  existence 
  of 
  these 
  clefts 
  the 
  author 
  infers 
  a 
  division 
  of 
  the 
  

   cornea-substance 
  into 
  compartments 
  equivalent 
  to 
  the 
  secondary 
  and 
  

   tertiary 
  bundles 
  of 
  tendon. 
  

  

  In 
  inflammation 
  the 
  clefts 
  are 
  much 
  widened, 
  and 
  their 
  finer 
  ramifica- 
  

   tions 
  become 
  visible. 
  In 
  preparations 
  of 
  inflamed 
  cornea 
  different 
  tracts 
  

  

  