SCIENTIFIC SUMMARY. 
221 
interest our readers, we quote our contemporary’s observations: — ^Vege- 
table wadding preserves all the properties of the pine ; it evolves an aroma 
eminently wholesome. Dr. Schillbach recommends it as a most harmless 
but efficacious remedy in cases of catarrh, bronchitis, asthma, sore throat, 
etc. Raw vegetable wool is one-half cheaper than the ordinary wool 
mattresses. Those stuffed with this wool do not attract humidity; its 
odour and the ozone, due to its resinous principles, keep off or kill the 
insects. Schmidt-Missler’s flannel, by reason of the resin, the tannin, and 
the formic acid it contains, aids the exercise of the important functions of 
respiration, absorption, and perspiration, in a greater degree than ordinary 
flannel. It is, at the same time, a preservative and corrective agent, which 
merits to become popular in Europe, as it is in Germany, and can be woven 
into any of the forms for which flannel is used, such as mittens, waistcoats, 
drawers, socks, &c. Etherated pine-oil, employed in friction, has given un- 
expected results ; in the first commencement of paralysis and apoplexy, in 
the case of recent bums, etc.” 
The Formation of Cells in Animal Tissues. — This long-debated question 
does not appear likely to be answered satisfactorily by the recent researches 
of Dr. E. Montgomery. Dr. Montgomery lately presented a paper to the 
Royal Society on the above subject, and in it he endeavoured to prove that 
the formation of the animal cell is purely a physical process. This he 
believes to have demonstrated experimentally. The following experiment 
is the one which most strongly supports his opinions : — u When to myeline, 
in its dry amorphous state, water is added, slender lubes are seen to shoot 
forth from all free margins. These are sometimes wonderfully like nerve- 
tubes ; they are most flexible and plastic. From this curious tendency of 
shooting forth in a rectilinear direction, it was inferred that a crystallising 
force must be at work. To counteract this tendency, and to oblige the 
substance to crystallise 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. The remaining task was 
comparatively an easy one. By mixing the myeline with blood serum, 
globules were obtained, showing the most lively molecular motion. — Vide 
Proceedings of the Loyal Society. 
The Arrangement of the Lymphatics. — In a note presented to the French 
Academy M. Robin described the appearance of the lymphatics in Torpedos 
(animals which are admirably adapted for researches on the lymphatic system). 
In this class of fishes generally the network forming the origin of the lymphatics 
are directly applied against the capillary blood-vessels. Concerning the 
section of a capillary, the lymphatic vessel forms a canal which embraces 
one half, two-thirds, or even three-fourths of the circumference of this 
vessel. The lymphatic, in fact, represents a canal which has a proper wall 
only on one side ; for the rest of its extent it is bounded by the capillary — 
at least, the proper coat of the lymphatic adheres so to the capillary that it is 
impossible to distinguish this portion of it. Thus it may be seen that the 
lymphatic vessels are closely applied to the capillary vessels, and the same 
position is observed as regards the larger arterial vessels also. From the 
numerous anatomical facts which he adduces, M. Robin is led to conclude 
