THE LACHRYMAL GLAND 159 



in this case the meshes of the basket-work are not quite empty, being 

 occupied bj^ a deUcate fihny membrane which is a condensation of the 

 reticular connective tissue. 



Flint and others refer to this latter alone as the basement 

 membrane. 



Boll ('68) was the first to describe 'Korbzellen' in the lachrymal 

 glands of the pig, sheep, calf, and dog. Owing to the resemblance 

 of these cells, in transverse sections, to demilune cells, he regarded 

 them as similar in nature to those cells described by Gianuzzi 

 in salivary and mucous glands. Cells similar in structure had 

 been described in other glands by Krause ; Henle, who regarded 

 them as nerve cells; Pflueger; and von Kolliker. Others held the 

 same view as Boll regarding the function of these cells. Noll 

 ('01) regarded these 'Korbzellen' as having completed a stage of 

 secretion and having been pushed back against the wall by neigh- 

 boring cells filled with secretion. In a later communication Boll 

 ('71) refers to these cells as the basement membrane. 



Kollosow refers to the cells described by Boll as muscular 

 epithelium, as did Zimmermann ('98). Schirmer and Puglisi- 

 Allegra described similar cells in lachrymal glands, to which 

 they ascribe the function of contractility. 



These 'Korbzellen' are readily seen in my Zenker-Van Gieson 

 preparations. They are more prominent in the lachrymal glands 

 of younger animals. Frequently these irregular anastomosing 

 cells are seen between the deep red staining reticular membrane 

 and the epithelial cells of the tubules, often obscuring the latter. 

 I am inclined to regard them as of connective tissue origin rather 

 than contractil musculo-epithelium. The anastomosing proc- 

 esses of the cells stain deeply red in Van Gieson's. Further 

 work, especially of an embryological nature, will be essential 

 to determine the positive nature of these cells. 



Other connective tissue cells are seen in addition to these 

 large cells — Korbe. These manifest themselves as elongated 

 nuclei and lie alongside of the basement membrane. Occasion- 

 ally nuclei appear at the intersection of the fibrils of the reticulum 

 and as a consequence appear as a part of it. Nuclei of endothel- 

 ial cells, lymph cells, and plasma cells are also seen. 



