Renewed inquiries concerning the spiral structure of muscle, with observations on the muscularity of cilia / by Martin Barry, M.D.

  • Martin Barry
Date:
[1852]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Renewed inquiries concerning the spiral structure of muscle, with observations on the muscularity of cilia / by Martin Barry, M.D. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Glasgow Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Glasgow Library.

    19/36 (page 17)
    the annular ai-rangement of cell-germs in fig. 24/ b, c, d. Of such rings of cell-germs, two are sometimes met with, connected like two links of a chain, fig. 25. Let the diagram fig. 26 c represent a pile of such pairs of connected rings. Now rings such a,s those in fig. 24 are seen to pass into the state at h in the same figure. And this change occurring in each ring of the pile of pairs of rings, fig. 26 c, with a uniting at the extremities of rings lying one upon another, would produce the twin or double spiral d in the same figure*. Nature, it may be objected, is a more skilful architect. She does not first fonn rings in order aftenvards to divide them and unite their extremities in another way. All is fi'om the first arranged in spiral order. Without denying this, and fully admitting that there is from the fii'st a tendency to arrangement in spii'al ordei', the author stUl maintains that rings of cell-germs are constantly met with; and that since it is so ordered that spirals shall arise by the union of separate cells, it is in perfect keeping with the form of the cytoblast (fig. 24 a), that the germs of those cells when first seen should be arranged in the foi-m of rings. [It must not be forgotten that each of the rings entering into the formation of the spiral has its centre of hyaline, whence the cell-germs of the next generation of spirals. See fig. 13.] That which in nutrition is ascribed exclusively to the fibrin of the lymph (and which probably corresponds to the author's hya- line), he beheves to be derived from the blood-corpuscles them- selves. And it is his opinion, that in the coagulation of the blood Nature gives us an example of the coagulation of the blood-corpuscles; for, as he showed in 1842, many fibres arise through coagulation within those corpuscles; whereby the latter either pass entirely into fibres, as in the cytoblast blood-corpus- cles of the MammaUa, or the coagulation takes place within blood-cells, as in the other Vertebrata. As already said, the reproduction of muscle seems to take place by a process not differing essentially from that which formed it, a process of division and subdivision of the germs of cells. And what are these germs of cells ? They consist of nothing less than that wondrous substance hyaline, the unceasing maintenance of which the author believes to be the main pui-pose in the foi-mation and division of cells. Each central row of cell- germs within the windings of the spiral threads is really an axis- cylinder of hyaline; and when this divides, there arises a double * [Or suppose a single pile of such bodies as that at h in fig. 24. The onion of their extremities would produce a single sjiiral; and longitudinal division of this single spiral would produce a double one.] o