270 Pancreatic Bladder in the Cat 



by means of a rather long duct. The gall-bladder occupied its usual 

 position and exceeded the pancreatic bladder in size. 



In 1879 Gage, of Cornell, figured and described a second case of a 

 pancreatic bladder, and, like that of Mayer, it was found in a cat. This 

 case was not mentioned by Oppel in his excellent work on the compara- 

 tive anatomy and histology of the pancreas. Gage describes his case as 

 that of a " pancreatic reservoir, analogous to the gall-bladder. In this 

 case it is larger than the latter and partly covers it. The two are very 

 closely boimd together for about half their longitudinal extent, by a 

 broad, firm band, which produces a decided constriction in both. The 

 walls of the reservoir are very firm and thick, as are also those of its 

 ducts. The duct is nearly straight, and bifurcated before terminating, 

 sending the larger branch to the gastro-splenic division of the duct of 

 Wirsung, and the smaller to the common trunk, . . . There was no com- 

 munication whatever between the pancreatic reservoir or its duct and the 

 gall-bladder or the ductus choledochus." 



These two cases are the only authentic ones that I have been able to 

 find in which a true pancreatic bladder has been present. It has been 

 reported as being present in other mammals, but I fail to find substan- 

 tial proof. The dilatation of the ampulla of Vater, which is often 

 found, as for example in the elephant and rhinoceros, situated as it is 

 within the walls of the duodenum, is quite another thing and is not to be 

 considered a bladder. 



Three cases in which a pancreatic bladder was present have come 

 under my observation, and like the case of Mayer and of Gage, they were 

 found in the domestic cat. Of these three cases of pancreatic bladder, 

 cases II and III were practically identical, while case I presented quite 

 a different type. 



In case I (Fig. 1) the pancreatic bladder occupied the usual position 

 of the gall-bladder. The gall-bladder was about one-third the size of 

 the pancreatic bladder and was situated to the right of the pancreatic 

 bladder, with which it was connected by a small amount of loose con- 

 nective tissue. The duct leading from the pancreatic bladder crossed the 

 ductus cysticus just as it left the gall-bladder, passed obliquely over the 

 right branch of the ductus hepaticus, then ran parallel to the ductus 

 choledochus, and finally joined the duodorsal division of the ductus 

 pancreaticus 6 mm. from its union with the splenic division. Two small 

 ducts arising in the duodorsal portion of the j)ancreas joined the duct 

 coming from the pancreatic bladder just before its union with the main 

 duct to form the ductus pancreaticus. The lobation of the liver pre- 

 sented nothing abnormal ; both the liver and pancreas were of normal 

 size. 



