THE ANATOMY OF THE PITUITARY BODY 



glandularis. In addition, there are a few miscellaneous re- 

 ports which will be considered at the end of this section. 

 Some of the most interesting interpretations are the result of 

 studies of human pituitaries. Furthermore, confidence in the 

 validity of the conclusions reached is possible because, in the 

 best of these reports, actual cell-counts rather than impres- 

 sions were used in gathering data. Likewise, in a number of 

 reports of an experimental nature this technic has been used. 

 Finally, it is unfortunately also true that morphological in- 

 vestigations of the pars glandularis — whether of man or of 

 animals — in which conclusions of a quantitative character are 

 reached without any recognition of the necessity of founding 

 these on a technic quantitatively sound are often the prin- 

 cipal means of confusing efforts to make a modest start in 

 satisfactorily picturing the function(s) of the cells of the 

 anterior pituitary. 



There still is no agreement in reference to the relationship 

 between the reserve cells and the chromophil cells. ^ Franck, 

 in several reports pubHshed in 1935-37, concluded, as many 

 authors have before him, that the chromophil cells are de- 

 rived from the reserve cells. He believed that there exist sev- 

 eral varieties of oxyphils and basophils, and that the latter in 

 turn are derived from oxyphils. Kirkman (1937), like Franck, 

 also used the guinea pig. Kirkman's elaborate study included 

 a careful analysis of previous reports and should be read by 

 those particularly interested in the physiological anatomy of 

 the pars glandularis. He studied the anterior pituitary of 

 guinea pigs during the oestrous cycle, in pregnancy, post- 

 partum, after gonadectomy, in fetal life, etc. Figure 6 is re- 

 produced from a report by Severinghaus and indicates, in 

 diagrammatic form, some views which have been held as to 

 the relationship between the reserve cells (chromophobes) 

 and the chromophils (oxyphils or acidophils and basophils). 

 This author (1937) has recently reviewed the relationship of 



'The report of Collin and Stutinsky (1937) contains a description of cellular 

 peculiarities of the anterior pituitary of the frog. 



[13] 



