618 
PEOFESSOR BEALE OX THE DISTEIBUTIOX OF XEETES 
Conclusions. 
The most important facts which have been elucidated in this inquiry appear to me to 
be the following: — 
1. That nerve-fibres in muscle and in some other tissues, if not in all, may be traced 
into, and are directly continuous with, a network formed of oval nuclei and intermediate 
fibres. 
2. That the organs by which nerves are brought into relation with other textures, 
and the agents concerned in the development of neiwes and the formation of new fibres, 
are the little oval bodies or nuclei which are present in considerable number in the 
terminal ramifications of all nerves. A great number of these bodies is associated ufith 
exalted nervous action, while, where sparingly found, we may infer the neiwous pheno- 
mena are only imperfectly manifested. 
3. That every elementary fibre of striped muscle is abundantly supplied ufith nerves, 
and that the fibres of some muscles receive a much larger supply than others. 
4. That the nerves lie, with the capillaries, external to, but in close contact ■ufith. the 
sarcolemma. They often cross the. fibre at right angles, so that one nerve-fibre may 
influence a great number of elementary fibres. There is no evidence of their penetrating 
into the interior of the fibre. 
Explanation op the Plate. 
PLATE XXIII. 
Fig. 1. Nerve distributed to the elementary fibres of a muscle from the leg of a frog. 
To the right, two ordinary fibres and four finer ones are seen enclosed in the 
same transparent tissue (tubular membrane). As these subdivide, a division 
occurs in this structure, but many nerves, which to ordinary powers appear to 
consist of a single fibre, are found really to be composed of several mdividual 
fibres enclosed in one transparent sheath. At a is a fibre which is uidest at 
that part of the nerve nearest to the nervous centre, while at h one is repre- 
sented which is wider towards the peripheral extremity of the nerve. At the 
lower part of the clraAving, two of the fine fibres have been pressed out of the 
transparent tissue, and one of them is broken olf. 
Eig. 2. Represents a portion of a compound fibre from the tongue of the frog. The 
branch from this (not more than diameter) is seen to 
contain three or four separate fibres ; and it will be observed that, as this 
nerve passes to the larger trunk, fibres proceed from it which pass in both 
directions, — a fact which I have repeatedly observed in all the animals I have 
examined. 
Fig. 3. Small portion of a fine nerve-fibre from the frog’s tongue dinding into several 
separate branches. The subdivisions of the oval bodies are well seen. 
