38 The Intralobular Framework of the Human Spleen 



Henle/ in 1859, questioned the findings of Billroth and denied the 

 existence of nuclei within expansions of the fibers. He described the 

 intralobular framework as composed, not of anastomosing cells, but of 

 fibrils similar to those of tendon.. These fibrils crossing one another 

 in all directions and at varying angles were, according to Henle, direct 

 continuations of the white fibrous tissue of the trabeculas. He further 

 described certain circular and spiral fibrils anastomosing with one 

 another to encircle the capillary veins. 



W. Mliller/ in 1865, corroborated the findings of Henle as to the 

 fibrillary character of the intercellular framework. He further de- 

 scribed a finely granular intercellular ground substance within which 

 he considered the individual fibrils to be imbedded. 



Oppel," in 1891, employing precipitation methods, was able to deter- 

 mine with some accuracy the general distribution of very delicate 

 intercellular fibrils within the pulp cords and Malpighian follicles of 

 the human spleen. Such fibers he termed " Gitterfasern," but he gave 

 no data as to their intimate structure. 



Mall,' in a series of contributions, commencing in 1888, established 

 a lobule as the unit of structure of the dog's spleen and determined that 

 its framework is composed largely of connective tissue differing from 

 both the white fibrous and yellow elastic forms. The component fibrils 

 of this tissue he found to be devoid of nuclei and everywhere anastomos- 

 ing with similar fibrils to form a delicate but resistant network. Unlike 

 elastic tissue, these fibrils resisted pancreatin digestion and differed 

 from white fibrous tissue in their extensive branching and anastomosis. 

 To this tissue he applied the specific term " reticulum." The most 

 delicate framework within the pulp cords he described as a distinct 

 "variety of reticulum not resisting pancreatin digestion. The reaction 

 of the reticulum within the Malpighian follicle he did not determine. 



METHODS. 



In studying the framework of fifteen human spleens, I have employed 

 the so-called "destructive" methods, the removal of the spleen pulp 

 by maceration and digestion permitting inspection of the isolated frame- 



4 Henle: Zeitschr. f. rationelle IfecUzin, III Reihe, Bd. VIII, S. 201-230. 



5- MiiUer, W. : Veber der feineren Bau der MHz, Leipzig, 186.5. 



"Oppel, A.: Ueber Gitterfasern der menscldichen Leber mid Milz, Anat. Anz., Jena, 

 Bd. VI, 1891, S. 16.5-173. 



'Mall: Anat. Anz., 1888. AbJiandl. d. K. S. Oes. d. Wiss., Bd. XVII, 1891. Johns 

 Hopkins Hospital Reports, Vol. I. Johns Hopkins Hospital Bidletin, Nos. 90-91, 1898. 

 ZeitscMft f. MorpJtolofjie u. Anthropologie, Bd. II, 1900. 



