THE GASTRIC MUCOSA 197 



of new graniiles. Hence the diminished reticulated area, and 

 the absence of any increase in the size of the cell, contrary to 

 Heidenhain's observation. 



(2) Mucoid Cells. — This other type of central cell has 

 somewhat finer granules, and when fixed they are replaced 

 by a fine reticulum (perhaps a precipitate) (PI. 8, fig. 3, m, xx, 

 XXI h). No granules ever remain intact after fixation. In the 

 fresh condition these granules are more rapidly dissolved by 

 reagents than those of the peptic cells ; this, perhaps, partly 

 explains the entire absence of granules after fixation. Mucoid 

 cells occur mainly in the superficial half of the gland-tube, 

 but are interspaced among the coarser reticulated peptic cells 

 towards the deeper part, and may be found throughout the 

 whole gland-tube. In places a portion of a gland may be lined 

 entirely by these cells. In form they are roughly globular, 

 but variations in shape occur according to their position and 

 fit in the tubule (PI. 8, fig. 5, m). 



Their staining reactions render them distinctive. They are 

 coloured a pale blue by alcoholic eosin and methylene blue, 

 a pale magenta by polychrome methylene blue, and a deep 

 blue by Mallory ; as is the case with the fasting peptic cells, 

 they are unaffected by haematoxylin. When a definite reticu- 

 lum is present it stains blue with Mallory, but in some of the 

 cells the basal portion takes on a brownish or even reddish 

 tinge. When there is no reticulum the precipitate-like material 

 invariably stains blue. 



The nucleus is small and compressed against the base of the 

 cell : it is generally deeply stained. Changes during digestion 

 consist in the cell becoming first larger and later smaller and 

 staining less heavily with Mallory, while the nucleus appears 

 to be a little more prominent. Mucoid cells are most marked 

 in the boundary zones, where they are continuous v^dth the 

 cardiac cells on the one side and the pyloric cells on the other. 



(3) Oxyntic Cells.— In the cat these cells are mostly 

 found wedged in between the central cells with a corner 

 abutting on the lumen ; nevertheless, they lie sufficiently far 

 outwards to be termed parietal cells. They are most numerous 



