228 B. C. H. HARVEY AND R. R. BENSLEY. 



formation of the acid. His results were not definite, although 

 he thought the parietal cells showed more blue than other 

 parts of the mucous membrane. The experiment was repeated 

 by Miss Fitzgerald, who found the results too indefinite to 

 decide the question, and by ourselves with the same outcome. 



Fitzgerald's Paper. 



Miss Fitzgerald ('10) conducted very careful and elaborate 

 experiments by this method and has obtained by far the most 

 definite results. Her experiments and the results are set forth 

 in the following table, which is copied from her paper: 1 



We would like to direct especial attention to a few facts reported 

 n this table and in her paper. First, the plates accompanying 

 her paper show very clearly the deposit of Prussian blue within 

 the canaliculi and in other parts of some parietal cells and also 

 in the interglandular blood and lymph vessels, and in wandering 

 cells and leucocytes. Second, in some experiments the Prussian 

 blue reaction was not obtained. Third, when it did appear it 

 was obtained in only one part of the stomach, namely, that near 

 the oesophagus and along the lesser curvature. This is not the 

 part which contains parietal cells in greatest abundance. Fourth, 

 even in this region only a few of the parietal cells showed the 

 Prussian blue. Those of the deeper third of the gland tubules, 

 that is, the third farthest from the free surface never contained it; 

 and in that part of the gland tubule where it did appear it was 

 found in only a fraction of the parietal cells, so that altogether 

 she found it in only a small percentage of the total number of 

 parietal cells of the stomach, and this notwithstanding the fact 

 that during some part of the long time the experiments lasted 

 all parts of the mucous membrane must have been in full digestive 

 activity. Fifth, it appeared in other structures as well as 

 in the parietal cells, namely, in the blood vessels, in the connective 

 tissue spaces and lymphatic vessels, in wandering cells, and in 

 leucocytes. Sixth, in two instances (rabbits 5 and 6) it did 

 not appear in the canaliculi of the parietal cells but only at the 

 surface of the latter remote from the lumen and next to the blood 

 vessels. 



Our own results have confirmed these facts entirely. 



