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THENATURE OF THESTATICLABYRINTH ASDETERMINED BYEXPERIMENTS INAMPHIBIA. DR. WILLIAM J. MCNALLY, by invitation.
As has long been known, sensory hair cells, similar in general structure to those found in the cristae of the ampullary sacs, are found in the utriculus and sacculus. Each collection of hair cells, together with the supporting cells, is designated as a macula, the macula utriculi being found in the utriculus and the macula sacculi in the sacculus. Lying among the hairs of the hair cell are found masses of small crystals of calcium carbonate, the otoliths or otoconia. The utricle and saccule in man have two otoliths, but in animals there are frequently more.
The kinetic function arises from the semicircular canals, while the otoliths serve as a static mechanism. The usual conception of utricular function is that it is concerned with posture. These organs are assumed to give information