Cited by F.C. Eve, 'Sympathetic Nerve Cells and their Basophil Constituent in prolonged Activity and Repose', Journal of Physiology 20 (4-5) (1896), pp. 334-353.
Description:

Explanation of Plate II (figs. 1-3):

'(The treatment has been in every case-corrosive, paraffin, methylene blue and eosin for 24 hours, absolute, balsam.)

1 a. Normal cell of upper cervical ganglion of rabbit D.

1 b. Cell of rabbit D stimulated continuously for 9 hours. Stained on same coverglass as a. Shows the diffuse blue change slightly but distinctly. The two cells are typical, not extreme, cases.

2 a, b. Two typical cells of rabbit R from the control ganglion, i.e. the ganglion had been dissected away from its blood supply and-then left for two hours closed up in the wound. There happens to be more than the typical amount of peripheral vacuolation.

2 c, d. Two cells from rabbit R, which had undergone two hours' direct stimulation of the ganglion inside shielded electrodes. The diffuse blue change, indicating the production of acid, is very marked (contrast with 2 a, b), but it is probably partly due to exposure to air as it lay in the electrodes. d is a surface cell and probably shows signs of slight evaporation. 3 a, b. Sympathetic ganglion cells of cat. (a) control; (b) shows same diffuse blue change produced by immersing the ganglion in very faintly acid saline before fixation. (Slight shrinkage in preparation.)' (353) 

 

Figs. 1-2 in text:

'a change which was appreciable in half the experiments and distinct in several was a slight but definite diffuse blue staining of the cell substance with methylene blue, giving somewhat the impression that the blue particles had entered slightly into solution, and had become less rigidly peripheral in their distribution. So that the ground-substance of the cell appeared faint bluie all over with blue spots, instead of being colourless with blue spots (Fig. 1, Pl. II.). Evidence will be shown later for consideriing this to indicate the production of acid, and it is interesting to find it occurring in active and dying nerve cells in analogy with the acidity of active or dying mulscle cells. However, in the presence of a normal blood stream to the ganglion this diffuise blue change is absent or slight, but it is far more marked where the ganglion has been exposed to the air or deprived of blood supply, and still more when the ganglion has been stimulated directly in the absence of blood supply (Fig. 2, Pl. II.).' (344)

'So pronounced was the diffuse blue in R that the cells had probably died, and these cells are figured (Pl. II, Fig. 2) to show this change as clearly as possible, and they must not be taken to indicate the extent of diffuseness producible by simple stimulation. (This is shown Fig. 1, Pl. II.) R and S show that nerve cells will not stand such treatment without appearing very unhealthy, and yet this treatment is mild and short compared with Hodge's experiment of watching teased nerve cells for days in a stream of salt solution.' (345)

 

Fig. 1 in text:

'The only change which I have been able to detect in the nerve cell as the result of protracted activity is the occurrence of a slight diffuse blue stain in the cell substance (Plate II. Fig. 1). This I attribute to a formation of acid by the cell and a consequent slight solution and diffusion of the basophil material. Though slight the change is almost always sufficiently pronounced to enable one with practice to distinguish a stitnulated ganglion from its control.' (352)

 

Figs. 2-3 in text:

'The basophil material appears to be soluble in very weak acids and alkalis, but not in weak salt solutions. When a ganglion is placed for a short time in weakly acid salt solution before being hardened, the basophil substance becomes diffuse, and the whole cell-substance takes a blue tint (PI. II. Fig. 3 b): if it is left longer in the solution, the blue stain disappears.

A diffuse blue stain of similar appearance (PI. II., compare Fig. 2 c, d with Fig. 3 d) may be produced in the cell substance, (a) by direct stimulation of the superior cervical ganglion, (b) by stimulating the cervical sympathetic when the ganglion is more or less deprived of its blood supply.' (350-351)