464 
MR. BOWMAN ON THE MINUTE STRUCTURE AND 
the parts of this very irregular surface, and even at its ends to examine fibrillse which 
stand out from its central portion. All these fibrillae are marked by the alternate 
light and dark points. 
It has occasionally happened, especially in the case of muscles with bulky primitive 
fasciculi, that in the manipulation with needles, preparatory to examination, a recent 
fasciculus has been partially wounded, so that its interior is displayed. A specimen 
in this state is presented in fig. 9, from the Boa. The fibrillse here seen are all marked. 
This fact proves that marked fibrillse exist in the interior of the fasciculus, and is not 
at all controverted by the circumstance that sometimes the surface of such a lacera- 
tion does not show a structure of this kind, the violence inflicted by the instrument 
being sufficient to account for the destruction or mutilation of parts of so much 
delicacy. 
If further evidence be wanting, it may be drawn from the writings of authors. It 
is highly probable that Hooke*, when he hinted to the Royal Society that, “he knew 
of a method of making succedaneous muscles, to give one man the strength of ten or 
twenty if required,” had in view these marked fibrillae, which he thought a series of 
bladders. Prochaska^ was so certain that the fibrillae were marked, or as he thought 
tlexuQus in the interior of the fasciculus, that he framed a false hypothesis to explain 
it, imagining that vessels, nerves, and cellular tissue penetrated within the fasciculi, 
and twining among the fibrillae, so impressed them. Fontana, as has been seen, be- 
lieved the fibrillae to be all marked ; and it will be difficult to find any one of the 
older anatomists who had seen detached fibrillae, and who noticed them to be 
cylindrical, except perhaps Muvs^, who represents them in one of his figures. 
Dr. Hodgkin and Mr. Lister make no mention of having seen primitive fibrillae, at 
any time, separated from the fasciculus, nor do they offer any remark as to what they 
* “ On April 25, 1678, he showed an experiment further to explain the action of a muscle, which was by a 
chain of small bladders fastened together, so as by blowing into one pipe the whole might be successively 
filled, and by that means contracted, supposing the fibres of the muscle, which seemed like a necklace of pearl 
in the microscope, might he filled with a very agile matter, which he thought most likely to be air, which 
being included in so thin skins, was easily wrought upon by heat, cold, or the acting properties of the liquor 
that pass between them, and so perform the lengthening and contracting of the muscles.” — Posthumous Works 
by Waller, 1707. Life, p. 20. 
In a letter from Leeuwenhoek to Oldenburg, August, 1 682, he says, that the fibres of flesh are composed of 
globules or particles nearly approaching the globular figure, of which he supposes 1,000,000 would not equal 
a grain of sand. He afterwards explains, however, that he calls by the name of globules all the particles of 
which flesh, fat, bone, hairs, &c. are composed, which makes it probable he had then no clear conception of 
the beaded structure of muscle. — Experiments and Observations of Robert Hooke and other eminent virtuosos 
of his time, by W. Derham, F.R.S., 1726. 
f Prochaska says of the blood-vessels, “ Sic ergo ex vagina musculi communi per ejus septa intra musculi 
substantiam usque inter fila carnea conducuntur. In hoc decursu continuo crescit ramorum tenuitas ac 
numerus, ita ut fibrae musculares (prim, fasc.) non tantum, sed etiam fila carnea (prim, fibrillse), tota sua 
longitudine arteriolis circumdata et decussata sint.” And of the nerves, “ Suo decursu et ramificatione arterias 
propemodum imitantur.” — De Carne Musculari, sect. i. cap. v. 
\ Muys, Investigatio Fabricse, quse in partibus Musculos componentibus exstat : Lugd. Bat. 1741. 4 tab. 1. 
