INTERNAL STRUCTURE OF PLANTS. 
23 
already partially destroyed at the edges, and in the act of 
decomposition. Some of the annular fibres, with spiral fibres 
of Mohl, he considers to belong to the reticulated tissues. He 
states, — “ Grenerally speaking, I am inclined to pronounce the 
inference from the developed forms, upon the history of the 
production, as very dubious, for it cannot have escaped the 
observation of Mohl, that secondary fibres, in very many cases, 
develop themselves as links of connection, subsequently to the 
formation of the fundamental spirals; and which fibres, al- 
though consisting of quite a different substance (because they 
are soluble by being boiled in caustic potass), are apparently 
not different from the spirals, and thus renders the recognition 
of the fundamental spiral exceedingly difficult.” He is inclined 
to attribute such a secondary mode of connection to one repre- 
sented in Mold’s figures. Schleiden says, at the conclusion, — > 
“ The reason that particularly induces me to persevere in 
my views, is the philosophical necessity, inseparable from the 
genuine investigation of nature, of limiting the number of modes 
of explanation, so long as a new reason is not absolutely re- 
quired, in consequence of the impossibility of explaining a 
phenomenon by an old mode of interpretation.” 
Herr Schleiden’s theory, respecting the spiral formations 
in plants, is a hypothesis. The explanation of the different 
forms of these formations, out of the relation of their produce 
tion to the increment of the cells, is very ingenious and con- 
venient, if it could only be proved to be true. But there 
appears to us to be a fictitiousness about the wonderful air 
vessels, which are to constitute fissures and pores, and no 
other investigator has observed any trace of them. A number 
of questions might be put in objection to this view, as, for 
instance. How can air bladders produce regular formations, 
and how is it that they do not act equally upon both sides ? 
Whence come these air bubbles ? It is not probable, that 
vessels can be produced from the absorbed walls of cells, as 
it is in their young state that they do not present walls at all. 
The author is fond of attributing effects to resorption. He 
probably intends to say “ decomposition,” fusion, or some- 
thing of that kind, for we know of no re or absorbing vessels 
415 
