323 
trie, vaginal, vesical and uterine ganglia are delineated in the fourth 
month of pregnancy, and also the plexuses of nerves on the anterior 
surface of the uterus. 
From an examination with the microscope of portions of the 
plexuses under the peritoneum of a gravid uterus in the ninth month, 
which had long been immersed in rectified spirit, Professor Owen 
and Mr. Kiernan inferred that they were not nervous plexuses, but 
bands of elastic tissue, gelatinous tissue, or cellular membrane. 
The author concludes his paper with a letter from John Dalrym- 
ple, Esq., containing the results of the observations he had made 
with the microscope on the uterine nerves in the recent state. Fila- 
ments of the nerves which surrounded the ureter, and which were 
situated upon the body of the uterus, were submitted to the micro- 
scope. The instrument employed was a very powerful object-glass, 
whose focus was the eighth of an inch, made by Ross. Mr. Dal- 
rymplefound that it was impossible, even with the most careful dissec- 
tion, to detach any filament of nerve without including a quantity of 
cellular and elastic tissue ; so that although the tubular portion indi- 
cating the nerve was distinct, yet it was surrounded by innumerable 
extremely minute threads coiled and contorted, such as those which 
constitute the component of elastic tissue, and the ultimate element 
of cellular membrane. Under slight pressure, however, the tube was 
plainly discernible, and was found to contain granular matter, not 
uniformly distributed, but collected in minute masses at intervals. 
Small blood-vessels were also here and there seen, with blood-discs 
within them, which served to indicate the difference between the 
nervous and vascular tubes, and thus to avoid the possibility of error. 
Being, however, aware that some of the most distinguished foreign 
microscopical anatomists had differed as to what was the real cha- 
racteristic of the nerves of the sympathetic system, and feeling, from 
this discordance of opinion, that there was no absolute test, or at 
least none which was not open to cavil, Mr. Dalrymple thought of 
making a comparison of the uterine nerves with those that undenia- 
bly belonged to the ganglionic system. He therefore traced some 
nerves on the surface of the stomach up to the great ganglion that 
gave them origin ; and he selected some also from the small intestine. 
These he submitted to the same microscopical power, and under the 
same circumstances of light, and pressure, and medium. In all of 
these he observed the tubular part filled with granular matter, and 
similarly collected in minute masses. He also observed that each 
tube was surrounded by the minute serpentine threads before de- 
scribed. In fact, so closely did they agree in every particular with 
the appearances presented by the uterine nerves, that it would have 
been impossible to distinguish the one from the other. 
4. “ On the Corpuscles of the Blood.” Part III. By Martin 
Barry, M.D., F.R.SS. L. and E. 
After remarking that no clear conception has hitherto existed of the 
mode in which the floating corpuscles of the blood conduce to nou- 
rishment, the author states that he has found every structure he has 
