50 
BULLETIN OF THE LABORATORIES 
Nansen agrees with Golgi in identifying two kinds of processes, 
nervous and protoplasmic. “ Of nervous processes each cell (unipo- 
lar or multipolar) has always one and never more; the nervous pro- 
cesses are always directed toward the' dotted substance, or in a few 
cases pass directly into the peripheral nerves.’’ 
The results of such a condition as this are evidently realized as 
revolutionary, as reference is made to the observations of Fritsch.* 
Die apolare ganglion-cellen haben lange genug in unserer Lit- 
eratur gespukt.” “ Fine wirklich unipolare Zelle ist fuer den Organ- 
ismus nicht viel mehr werth als eine apolare Zelle.” To this the 
present writers fully assent and furthermore find abundant evidence of 
the existence of two fully developed “nervous processes” in very 
many cells connected with the cranial nerves as well as in the cortex 
and feel that the ganglion cells might as well be dismissed from the 
ranks of servitors of cerebral function if deprived of all members but 
one. How the function of inhibition, for example, can construe with 
such a condition, does not appear. 
Nansen proceeds : “ When a ganglion-cell is bipolar, then the 
processes it possesses, besides the nervous process, are protoplasmic 
processes. These protoplasmic processes are not directed toward the 
dotted substance, but generally have a peripheral direction toward the 
external layers of the central nervous system.” “ Like Prof. Golgi, 
I, believe the function of the protoplasmic processes to be a nutritive 
one; when the ganglion cells can not get sufiicient nourishment in 
their neighborhood, they have to send processes toward the periphery 
of the nervous system.” “ Having elucidated that no combination 
between cells can be produced by the protoplasmic process, and as it 
is very improbable that any combination between them can be pro- 
ducejd by the neuroglia, I suppose it to be most probable, if not cer_ 
tain, that if any combination upon the whole exists between the gang- 
lion cells, then this combination must be produced by the nervous 
processes. That such a combination can exist, with the dotted sub- 
stance as a medium, we can readily understand when we think of the 
course of the nervous processes. There may be drawn a distinction 
between tivo types of ganoUon cells in respect to the course of their ner- 
vous processes ; viz : (:i) :gaJ3glion cells with nervous processes which 
directly become nerveTubds and thus do not lose their individuality 
p-Arch. mikr. Anat., 1886 ] 
