On the structure and growth of the tissues, and on life : ten lectures delivered at King's College, London / by Lionel S. Beale.

Date:
1865
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On the structure and growth of the tissues, and on life : ten lectures delivered at King's College, London / by Lionel S. Beale. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. The original may be consulted at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.

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    ceive how the cells wei'c formed, and to explain how by any changes occurring in cells, the structure which exists could be produced. In some of the tissues, as I have said, the explanations offered by these theories are intelligible enough, but they seem to be exceedingly unsatisfactory when applied to many others, and quite inadequate to ex- plain the changes which have occurred, or to account for the structure which exists, even in tissues closely allied to those composed of bodies like cells. Let me now ask you to dismiss for the present from your minds all theories, and to consider with me the changes that may be actually seen to take place in the growth of various organisms when examined under the most favour- able circumstances by the highest powers of the microscope. We shall, then, attempt to generalize from these parti- cular observations, and it may be, propound some theory which will help us to understand the nature of the processes by which the tissues arc built up. In the first place, it is most important that we should examine the most minute inanimate particles and the smallest living particles. The smallest, inaniinale parlkles contrasted with the sinallesl liuinr/ particles—Suppose, then, wc take a little inorganic matter of any kind and place it under the microsc'ope. Wc will take, say, a little of this deposit of phosphate of lime which I have ])recipitated from a solution of lime by the ad- dition of a soluble salt of phosphoric acid. Now, what do you see on putting this fine precipitate under the micro- scope? Why, only a number of minute granules or dots possessing no form or structure whatever. Magnify the deposit by the highest powers at your couunand, and you