THE LACHRYMAL GLAND 



201 



are present also which are generally true of mucous secreting 

 cells: a) The flattened nucleus seen compressed against the 

 base of the cell in the large bulging cells, b) The absence of 

 basal st nations as seen in many serous cells, c) The presence 

 of but minute traces of prozymogen (toludin blue stain) and 

 organic iron — the latter demonstrated by Macallum's method 

 d) The specific reaction to the mucous stains. 



5) Examination of lachrymal secretion in the human shows 

 only a small amount of mucin present which is readily accounted 

 for by the presence of goblet cells both in the ducts and con- 

 junctiva. 



Analyses of human lachrymal secretions show : 



Water 



Epithelium 



Albumin 



Mucus and Fat 



Salt NaCl ] 



Phosphate } 



Other salts J 



ARLT LEECH'' 



98.233 



0.504 

 Trace 



1.2571 

 0.016/ 



MAGA.\RD (82) 



)8.1200 

 1.4638 



0.4160 



No positive proof can be advanced that these cells are either 

 serous or mucous in character as we have no specific methods for 

 determining this. The lachrymal gland may be considered as 

 not highly specialized in function when compared with such 

 glands as the pancreas. It appears to occupy an intermediate 

 position between the more highly specialized serous and mucous 

 glands and possesses many characteristics of both. My results 

 plainly show that great care must be taken in determining the 

 nature and function of glands from the standpoint of micro- 

 chemical staining. 



Rings and deinilune grmiules. Attention has been called to the 

 fact that these peculiarly shaped granules have been described 

 by Held, Nicholas, and Heidenhain in other glands, and espe- 

 cially by Fleischer in the lachrymal gland of the ox, who described 



Nagel's handbuch 



