ORIGINAL COMMUNICATIONS. 



On the Employment of Transparent Injections in the 

 Examination of the Minute Structure of the Human 

 Pancreas. By Wm. Turner, M.B. (Lond.), Senior 

 Demonstrator of Anatomy, University of Edinburgh. 



The investigation of the relations of the minute gland ducts 

 to the ultimate gland follicles in the human pancreas presents 

 considerable difficulties. This is owing, partly, to the great 

 delicacy and transparency of the structures, and partly, be- 

 cause from the close manner in which the minute lobules of 

 the gland are crowded together, it is difficult to obtain a 

 satisfactory view of a single isolated lobule. Thus, the mode 

 of connection of the fine excretory duct of the lobule with 

 the sacculated gland follicles at its extremity cannot clearly 

 be estimated. Moreover, if it is attempted to separate the 

 lobules from each other by tearing them asunder with needles, 

 the relations of the parts become so disturbed, that the ex- 

 amination does not afford any very decided results. For 

 these reasons, it has been customary, in describing the minute 

 structure of this gland, to refer especially to the appearance 

 which it presents in the smaller and more common Rodents, 

 such as the Rat or Mouse. 



In these animals the pancreas is spread out in a thin 

 arborescent manner between two layers of peritoneum, so that 

 the different lobules lie mostly on the same plane. Their in- 

 vestigation is on this account comparatively easy, even with- 

 out the aid of any dissection.* 



Being engaged some months ago in making a series of pre- 

 parations of the human pancreas for the sake of illustrating 

 the structure of this gland to my microscopic class, I 

 succeeded in forcing an injection through the excretory duct 

 into the ultimate follicles of the gland. I have been enabled 

 in this manner to obtain, much more satisfactorily than by 

 any other process, definite vieAvs of their relations to each 



* See 'Todd's Cyclopedia,' Article "Pancreas." 



VOL. V11I. N 



