828 



SUPRA-RENAL CAPSULES. 



to be one drachm : according to Krause * it 

 is from 80 120 grains; according to Huschkef 

 from 80 180 grains. The anatomist last 

 named found that its specific weight in the 

 newly-born infant was I '0333 ; but Krause 

 states the supra-renal capsules of the adult 

 to be of the somewhat lower specific gravity of 

 1-0163. 



The two supra-renal capsules of the same 

 individual are generally of different size. 

 Usually the right is of somewhat lesser height, 

 but greater breadth, than the left, which 

 has the contrary diameter the larger. 



The so-called accessory supra-renal capsules 

 are often found in man. They are small 

 round corpuscles, which, in various numbers, 

 are attached loosely to the inner border of 

 the supra-renal gland, or are sometimes im- 

 bedded in an excavation on its surface. 



The supra-renal capsules of the Mammalia 

 essentially correspond with this description. J 

 They are always situated on the upper part 

 of the kidneys ; sometimes towards the inner 

 part, sometimes on the upper part of their 

 border, as in man. Sometimes they are not 

 so closely attached to the urinary organs as 

 in man, but are somewhat more removed 

 from them, Thus, for instance, are arranged 

 the supra-renal capsules of the Elephant and 

 Seal. But, in opposition to this constancy 

 of situation of these organs, we find very 

 considerable differences in respect of their 

 size and form. 



The supra-renal capsules of Monkeys closely 

 approach the shape seen in the human sub- 

 ject ; but, not unfrequently, their size seems 

 somewhat more considerable. Among the 

 Carnivora they are, in the Dog, of an elongated 

 cylindrical form, sometimes thicker at the 

 margin than in the middle, and of a dense 

 solid texture. So also in the Cat, in 

 whom they are roundish, and somewhat flat- 

 tened. Amongst Insectivora they have in the 

 Mole (Talpa europeea) the form of a three- 

 sided pyramid. In the Seal they appear very 

 small, and Cuvicr found that their size was, to 

 that of the kidneys, as 1 150. In this latter 

 animal the whole surface of the supra-renal 

 capsules is divided into a multitude of lobules, 

 or acini. Amongst all the Mammalia, these 

 blood-glands are largest in the Rodentia, their 

 ratio to the kidneys being as 1 to 4 and 5 : 

 this is the case, to wit, in Ccelogenys Paca, 

 and in the Guinea-pig (Cavia cobaia). They 

 are roundish, and somewhat flattened, in the 

 Rabbit and the Dipus. The supra-renal cap- 

 sules of the Mouse, the Rat, and the Myoxus 

 Glis, have a shorter form ; while, on the other 

 hand, in Hystrix they become more cylindrical. 



* Loc. cit. 



t Huschke, Lehre von cler Eingeweiden und Sin- 

 nesorganen des menschlichen Korpers. Leipzig, 

 1844, S. 357. 



I Concerning the differences of form of the sirpra- 

 renal capsules may be cousufted the well-known 

 text-books on comparative anatomy of Cuvier and 

 Meckel ; and, especially, Nagel in Miiller's Archiv 

 for 1836, S. 3G5., and Ecker, Die feiuere Bau der 

 Nebennieren, Braunschweig, 1846. 



Amongst the Pachydermata they have, in the 

 Elephant, the form of an elongated cone, and 

 their base is divided into two lobes, and turned 

 backwards. In the Pig, their form is about 

 midway between the cylindrical and the pris- 

 matic. Besides this, the supra-renal capsules 

 of this animal possess a considerable size. In 

 the Horse they are flattened and triangular, 

 approaching the human form. Among the 

 Ruminantia they are, in the Rein-deer, of an 

 oval form, which approximates to the sphe- 

 rical. They are elongated in the Sheep. In 

 the Ox, their shape in some degree resembles 

 that of the kidney. Here they are almost 

 crescentic, not unlike a horse-shoe, and their 

 upper extremity is three-sided. Finally, the 

 supra-renal capsules of Cetaceans are, like 

 those of the Seal, exceedingly small, and 

 broken up into a number of small lobes. 



We find a similar correspondence in the 

 class of Birds. Their supra-renal capsules 

 are generally small in proportion to the size 

 of the body j sometimes spherical, sometimes 

 oval ; and, in general, divided into lobules. 

 They lie at the inner extremity of the anterior 

 part of the kidney, often close to the inferior 

 vena cava ; and they are covered by the tes- 

 ticles, or ovaries. 



In the It'eplilia these organs are much less 

 known, since only isolated (and not unfre- 

 quently contradictory) observations have been 

 made respecting them. Hitherto thev have 

 not been found among the Derotremate, Pe- 

 rennibranchiate, and Cascilian orders of this 

 class. 



The supra-renal capsules of the Saurtans 

 have been very eagerly examined, and most 

 exactly in the genus Lacerta. In these ani- 

 mals Nagel found them along the upper ex- 

 tremity of the vas deferens, in the form of two 

 long, small, lobulated bodies. Nagel's obser- 

 vations have been recently confirmed, and 

 added to, by Ecker. The supra-renal cap- 

 sules, possessing the form stated by Nagel, 

 have a length of ]i lines, with a breadth of 

 14. They lie closely on the vena renalis re- 

 vehens, or on the vena cava ascendens, which 

 is constituted by the two efferent renal veins. 

 Since the right supra-renal capsule is usually 

 of somewhat larger size, it is wont to lie on 

 the vena cava itself; while the left organ is 

 placed upon the vena renalis revehens. In 

 the male lizard the supra-renal capsules are 

 placed between the vein and the vas deferens ; 

 in the female they are situated between that 

 vessel and the ovary. Numerous blood-ves- 

 sels convey the blood from it into the corre- 

 sponding veins. The blind worm (Aiiguis 

 fragilis] also possesses long, small, sup r a-renal 

 capsules ; and so, probably, do the Crocodi/us 

 Lucius and Ameiva teguixin. Nevertheless, 

 both the latter animals are at present insuffi- 

 ciently examined. 



The supra-renal capsules of the Ophidia ex- 

 hibit a similar condition, the more exact 

 knowledge of which we especially owe to 

 Retzius. They form two long and small 

 bodies, and in the Python binistatus they at- 

 tain a length of 8 lines. The supra-renal 



