EXPERIMENTAL MITOCHONDRIAL CHANGES IN THE 

 PANCREAS IN PHOSPHORUS POISONING 



W. J. M. SCOTT 

 Anatomical Laboratory, Johns Hopkins University 



SEVEN FIGURES (oNE PLATE ) 



The interest which has been aroused in mitochondria in recent 

 years and their possible importance in the cell economy is evident 

 when Champy ('11, p. 154) is willing to make the statement 

 that ''I would not regard as living a cytoplasm which does not 

 contain mitochondria" and when Cowdry ('16 b) remarks that 

 ''mitochondria are as characteristic of the cytoplasm as chro- 

 matin is of the nucleus." 



There is one cardinal fact which must be emphasized and given 

 its true value in any discussion of the literature on mitochondria 

 in pathological conditions. This important point, so frequently 

 ignored, is that these structures were brought into prominence 

 over a quarter of a century ago by the brilliant investigations 

 of Altmann, but they were seen and described by many investi- 

 gators before Altmann, notably by Flemming. It is indisput- 

 able that many of his granules, particularly those styled vegeta- 

 tive filaments, are identical with mitochondria. His investi- 

 gations had a very stimulating effect upon pathologists with the 

 result that several important and truly classical papers on Alt- 

 mann's granules in various pathological conditions appeared in 

 rapid succession. Reference need only be made to the early 

 numbers of Lubarsch and Ostertag's Ergebnisse and to the ex- 

 tensive bibliography given by Galeotti ('95, p. 544). 



Now Altmann's work fell into disrepute and was actually 

 scoffed at on account of the bizarre theoretical interpretations 

 in which he indulged. He thought, for instance, that the gran- 

 ules were elementary organisms which existed in the form of 

 colonies in all cells. This very naturally prejudiced investi- 



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