402 S. SAGUCHI 



along with some of the zymogen granules becomes sharply 

 limited from the surrounding plasma, and forms a mass which 

 comes to lie in a vacuole. This corpuscle gradually changes 

 its staining reactions and finally is cast off into the lumen. 



Exogenous structures. The accessory nuclei, in part at least, 

 have been regarded either as parasites (Steinhaus, Mathews, 

 Macallum) or as leucocytes passed into the cell (Melissinos and 

 Nicolaides) . 



c. Significance. There is also much diversity of opinion with 

 regard to the significance and the final fate of the mebenkern.' 



Ogata, Platner, Laguesse ('99), Ver Eecke, Galeotti, Mouret, 

 Mathews, Gamier, Babkin, Rubaschkin and Ssawitsch, and many 

 others believe that the mebenkern' disintegrates into zymogen 

 granules, while Eberth and Muller believe in its indirect par- 

 ticipation in the elaboration of secretion granules. On the other 

 hand, Steinhaus and Macallum deny such a participation, 

 whether direct or indirect. 



A few investigators advance the very curious view that the 

 mebenkern' is a plasmosome (nucleolus) passed out of the nucleus 

 which becomes converted into a new nucleus (Ver Eecke) , even 

 into a new cell (Ogata). 



Nussbaum, and Melissinos and Nicolaides reached no definite 

 conclusion as regards the significance of the mebenkern.' 



Critical 



In looking over the literature, one is confronted with an ap- 

 palling mass of conflicting observations. The corpuscles which 

 are described under the name of 'nebenkern 5 show much varia- 

 tion not only as regards shape and structure, but also in ori- 

 gin and significance. These variations w r ould indicate that the 

 so-called 'nebenkern' either includes things which vary in origin, 

 or, if of the same origin, must be a body which exhibits an extra- 

 ordinary diversity of shape and structure. Under these circum- 

 stances, the inference would appear justifiable that the meben- 

 kerne' cannot be integral constituents of the pancreatic cell, 

 but must be considered products either of artificial or of physio- 



