The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1875-05-27
NUMBER d.
Reproduction of Organisms.

The epidelmis, or outer skin. grow,
with the greatest facility, Just as tn,
hair and the nails; it is indeed the sam,
tissue. Tae crystalline lens of the eve
which somewhat atresemblest the substanc,
of the epideTmis, is also reproduced
when it is taken away. Many expert
ments made on dogs and rabbits proved
that this bi-cOnvex lens, which is one O.
the principal organs of sight, is per
fected afresh in few months.
Besides tho skin, there are the nerves
the restoration of which was unknown
until the end of the last century, wher
Monro and some others drew up a com
plete theory. Ia the sciatic nerve, fol
instance, it is sometimes necessary tC
cut out about the third of an inch. The
ends soon show an alteration; then, II
about six weeks or two months, a gray
lump appears on one extremity which
directs its course toward the opposite
one and -unites with it. This is com.
posed of nervous tubes, more slender
than the original ones but by degrees
they grow in size, become winter, the
tibers are more perfect, and after an
interval of four to six months there is q
cord Of nerves newly formed. This
process Will go on even when two inches
have been eXcised As the matter is
| repaired, the progressive re- establish
ment of the sensitive functions can be
seen, whether of motion or of feeling.
| The cartilage, which is perhaps bet
/ ter known under the name of gristle.
was considered for a long period as in
| capable of renovation, but in 1867 this
was found to be a mistake. The carti-
laginous tissue of dogs and rabbits was
| divided. and at the end of two months
/ Aha-o .,v,,,IaA, "a =
also found that the thinner muscular
| tissues which perform involuntary
| movements in the interior of the body
! possess the same power One point
| only remained to be proved-whether
muscular fbers could restore, by means
of similar tibers, their loss of substance.
This was tried on some guinea pigs /;
the muscles were cut, and after a few
months they were found to be complete
again. Thus, all the tissues of the ami
NAL frame can be restored in the adult,
and by precisely similar plan of devel-
opment as in the young.
The knowledge of these facts has
been IN the practice of surgery the
starting point for many new operations,
which are still advancing. Thus, the
reproduction of bone has especially
interested the public. Bones consist
of three parts-the marrow, the osseous
substance, and the periosteum, a men,
BRAN which covers the outside, and
which was discovered during the last
century to be the principal agent in
celebrating the whole structure. One
skllful experimenter remarked that
| whenever he could introduce the peri
Osteum there he could have bone, and
could thus multiply the bones of an
av,Tv,n1
were none before. This, however, is
not desirable; but as the bones are
very liable TO inflammation, tumors and
! decay surgery can here step in and take
away all the unhealthy parts, excavate
! the bones, and at the end of few
months the limb, which has never lost
| its form, repairs its losses, a new bone
/ tissue is formed, and restored to the
! formtr condition of healthy vitality.
| Formerly amputation was the only
resOu ce in such cases now the limb Is
/ saved bone gives BIRTH to bone, Just as
/ the severed nerve reunited itsell, the
/ cartilaginous layer adheTing to the peri
! Osteum being nothing else but bone in
! the course of formation.
The operation of grating in the vege-
/ table kingdom is well known living
/ fragments are attached to a perfect
tree. But the grated portion never
! becomes an integral part of that to
! which it has been transported; it rather
| develops as a parasite, like the mis-
! tletoe on the oak, and remains physiO-
! logically distinct. This, however, is
/ not the case with animals. When a
| piece taken from another part OF the
! same individual or from a different
/ subj ct is grated it becomes a perfect
/ portion and gives the same life. The
/ cells of the choroid coat of the eye may
! be transplanted end preserve their
| vitality in their new home. The trans
/ fusisn of blood is nothing but the in
| PRODUCTION of red globules borrowed
! form one organism and transferred. to
another. This succeeds even if the
/ blood passes into an individual of quite
a different class, as, for instance, from
MAMMAL into the vessels of a frog.
! The globules will be found after some
! time living, and easily recognized as
those of a superior animal. The spurs
| of one cock have been grated into the
comb of another, and teeth of mammals
have also been tTansplanted.
! From these facts surgeons took up
the idea of grating bones in the place
of those that had uecayed, and several
attempts seemed to favor the plan but
] AOh IL 10 ABhnOWAElBCA bAAhh a BAdAh VI
/ either the periosteum or the marrow
has an unconquerable tendency to be
reabsorbed or TO disappear after a time,
on account Of the unfayorable condi-
tions In which it finds itself, or for want
of nutrition.
More success has attended the graft
ing Of teeth, but this Is not yet quite
establihsed. The teeth spring from a
little bag, or follicle, in which is the
organ of ivory, and that for the pro-
duction of enamel. When an entire
follicle was taken from a puppy, and
grated into an adult dog, the germ was
regularly developed to the production
of a complete tooth. The enamel when
| grated alone persisted, while the organ
of ivory produced an ivory tooth.
! These interesting researches lead 10
| the hope that teeth may some day be
/ thus restored, seeing that an entire
organ with a complete structure is
more likely 10 gIow than when it is
! only a fragment, transplanted and
| isolated ike piece of bone.
The grating of the epidermis has
been accomplished by many celebrated
| surgeons. After an operation, q burn,
or bruise, the destroyed skin is but
| slowly restored, and often with diff
Guilty. Thus the idea arose of taking
a piece of healthy skin from the same
or another person and laying it on the
wound. It was found to require the
utmost delicacy on the part of the sur
Reon and instead of covering the whole
/ with Ona piece, very small bits were
applied each day, following the process
Of healing aad replacing those morsels
that did not adhere. In about twenty
four hours the grating was accom-
plished, and the wound was not, ai
usual, a contracted scar
What The Timss has 70 Say.