n :  any of numerous branching cells adhering to the endothelium of capillaries and regarded as a contractile element in the capillary wall
 
Rouget, Charles-Marie-Benjamin (1824-1904), French physiologist and anatomist. Rouget's early researches dealt with the anatomy and physiology of the reproductive organs. He made his best contributions in correlating physiology with microscopic structure. Using special photographic techniques, he was able to examine the muscle fibers of vertebrates under high magnification. He made noteworthy observations in three areas: contractile tissue, nerve endings, and the eye. For his study of capillary contractility he examined the capillaries of the hyaloid membrane of the eye of a frog. He presented his first findings in 1874, and five years later he made another report on the contractility of blood capillaries. He described certain contractile cells, now called Rouget cells, on the walls of capillaries. His research on nerve endings produced two reports on the sensory receptors in the skin. His later research dealt with the termination of sensory nerve fibers in skeletal muscle and with end plates in particular. Rouget's most important contribution to the study of the eye dealt with accommodation of the lens.
 
 
 
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