142 
DR. A. WALLER ON THE MINUTE STRUCTURE OF THE PAPILLA 
divided muscular fibres, and which ceases after a short time. The ciliary action, on 
the contrary, lasts a considerable time, and I have detected it two days after death 
in some instances. Even in a small detached fragment placed under the microscope 
I have known it to last for several hours, and it would probably continue still longer 
if kept moistened with saliva. After remaining about half an hour under examination 
the border of the tongue is seen to undergo an alteration. Tiie particles of epithelium 
become uneven and gradually disaggregated. These entirely separate at some spots, 
and consequently numerous small, uneven cavities are formed along the borders. 
The surface of the fungiform papillae is covered with cilia in active motion, while the 
conical papillae by the side of them are entirely devoid of them. 
The Conical Papillce over the expanded tongue are found of various forms, 
conical or cylindrical ; sometimes simple, sometimes compound, like so many conical 
projections seated on one body. We generally succeed in detecting an opening at 
the summit of each of them. The opening is either sharp at the edges or anal- like 
with circular lips. From above we see the commencement of a cavity lined with 
epithelium, which I have been able to see terminate in an infundibular canal extending 
towards the base of the papilla. These papillae generally contain no vascular capil- 
laries within them. When they do exist, they never ascend to the summit of the body, 
but form a bend or loop at about the half or lower third of the height of the cone. 
Fungiform Papillce . — These are easily distinguished from any other bodies on the 
surface of the tongue, by the existence within them of a coil of capillary vessels 
generally containing blood in a state of active circulation. They are always larger 
and redder than the conical papillae ; sometimes they present at the summit a red 
point of apparently extravasated blood, but which, when examined under a high 
power, is found to be merely an engorged vessel. A similar appearance on a larger 
scale is often seen on the fungiform papillae in man. The fungiform papillae consist 
of a circular zone of epithelian cells containing a central area filled with coils of 
capillary vessels, and with nerve-tubules ascending and terminating abruptly amongst 
them. When examined on an expanded tongue, we can form no accurate idea of 
the real elevation of these bodies, as they appear like discs adhering to the mem- 
brane subjacent, the stem not being visible ; but if we remove a small fragment of 
the membrane and interpose it between glass, we find them standing out in relief at 
the borders, and of the same form as in other animals, viz. that of a flask or gourd. 
Some have a long pedicel, which becomes gradually narrower to its point of inser- 
tion to the membrane, where its thickness scarcely equals a fourth or fifth of that of 
the body. Others are with scarcely anything deserving the name of pedicel ; and 
again some are compound, consisting of either of the above varieties, with the 
addition of one or two small conical papillae joined to the external zone. 
These varieties arise rather from their position on the tongue, than from any structural 
distinction. The degree of contraction of the pedicel and its height are connected 
with the height and size of the conical papillae around them. Where these are long 
