64: 
SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 
reactions agrees essentially with the chromophilous cells. Some of the 
gland-cells contain red blood-corpuscles, and disruptive products of 
these which are taken up and dissolved in the vacuoles discovered by 
Rogowitsch. There thus seem to be two functions, secreting colloid 
and destroying red blood-corpuscles, but we know nothing of the rela- 
tions (if any) between these. The author had intended to compare 
with the healthy hypophysis that of cretins and paralytics, and has 
done something in this direction, — too little, however, to warrant the 
emphasis of a summary. 
Conducting' Element in Nervous Tissue.* * * § — Prof. St. Apathy con- 
tributes the first part of an elaborate memoir on this subject to which 
he has for many years given much attention. The detailed part is 
mainly concerned with Hirudinea and Lumbricidae. The general con- 
ception may be briefly stated. The nerve cell is analogous to the 
muscle-cell, producing conducting substance (primitive fibrils, neuro- 
fibrils), as the muscle-cell produces contractile substance (myofibrils). 
The primitive fibrils grow inwards into ganglion-cells, outwards into 
sensory cells. They form a meshwork in the ganglion-cells, and pass 
out, variously grouped, to other ganglion-cells, to muscles, and to gland- 
cells. The ganglion-cells must be distinguished from the nerve- cells ; 
they have been intercalated into the conducting system, producing what 
has to be conducted. The structural units of the conducting system 
are the neurofibrils, which can be isolated optically and mechanically. 
The present memoir is especially devoted to a consideration of these- 
neurofibrils and their topographical relations. 
Spinal Ganglion-Cells of Reptiles.! — Charles-Amedee Pugnat has 
studied these in Testudo grseca, Uromastix spinipes, Agama colonorum, 
and Emys europseus. The cytoplasm has a fibrillar structure, the fibrils 
being very distinct peripherally, but disappearing in the clear central 
zone. The chromatin substance is generally in the form of very fine 
granulations, sometimes pulverulent. The nucleus, itself large, contains 
a very large nucleolus and a close network of linin-filaments, with 
numerous acidophilous granulations in the meshes. As to the very 
small cells found in most, if not all, types of Vertebrates in the spinal 
ganglia, the author thinks it most probable that they give rise to 
sensory fibres which pass by the rami communicantes to the sympathetic, 
ganglia. 
Molecular Layer of Cerebellum.! — Prof. A. E. Smirnow finds in 
the molecular layer of the cerebellum in various Mammals the following 
types of nerve-cells : — (A) nerve-cells with a long neurite (Purkinje’s 
cells), and (B) nerve-cells with a short neurite, — including (1) the cells 
of Ramon y Cajal, and (2) the cells described in the present paper. 
These are of two sorts, some with horizontally disposed neurite, and 
others with a neurite which immediately divides into terminal branches. 
Minute Structure of the Lamprey’s Skin.§ — Herr W. Kapelkin 
gives an elaborate account of the lamprey’s skin, in regard to which 
* MT. Zool. Stat. Neapel, xii. (1897) pp. 495-748 (10 pis.). 
t Anat. Anzeig., xiv. (1897) pp. 89-96 (4 figs.). 
X Op. cit., xiii. (1897) pp. 686-42 (7 figs.). 
§ Bull. Soc. Imp. Moscow, 1896 (1897), pp. 481-514 (2 pis.). 
