THK LACHRYMAL (iLAND 177 



if in thick sections the stain affects the tubules this can be re- 

 moved by the use of acid alcoliol. The time required to obtain 

 the intense bhie stain is bi'ief , as less than one minute was neces- 

 sary. Sections of the salivary gland and of the mucous membrane 

 of the intestinal tract were used for controls. I found that the 

 muchaematein stained the granules of the intercalary ducts of 

 the lachrymal gland in the same time that was required to obtain 

 a corresponding stain in the control sections. The similarity 

 of this gland in its staining characteristics to the mucous glands 

 and cells is interesting as it suggests the possibility of the presence 

 of mucous secreting cells in the lachrymal gland. I shall discuss 

 this phase later on. These muchaematein stained sections show 

 the interlobular and the intralobular ducts unstained. The 

 tul)ules generally take a light diffuse stain, and connecting the 

 tubules with the intralobular ducts are the deep blue granular 

 stained intercalary ducts — the stain is confined to the granules 

 only. 



The intercalary ducts vary greatly in length. The longest 

 are from 200 to 2o0m in length and the shortest are about 70 

 to 80/x. The lumen of the intercalary duct is very narrow when 

 contrasted with that of the other ducts. It averages about 6/i 

 in diameter although much variation exists not only in its width 

 in different ducts but also in a single duct. As a rule the lumen 

 becomes wider as it approaches the intralobular duct. Primary 

 intercalary ducts frequent^ give rise to a number of secondary 

 branches which in turn terminate in one or more tubules. The 

 cells of these ducts have an average height of 10/x. The nuclei 

 are not stained in muchaematein, they are seen, however, as 

 large oval structures in the basal end of the cell. They never 

 appear angular or compressed against the base. The granules 

 are confined to that portion of the cell forming the lumen (the 

 proximal end) and occupy about one half of the cell mass (f g 12). 

 This arrangement of granules is rather constant, rarely is a cell 

 seen where the granules extend to the base. They are proximal 

 to the nuclei and in many cases obscure their rounded proximal 

 surface. 



