Points in the Histology of the Human Kidney. 161 



presence on plants is highly destructive* to them, and has proved 

 one of the most serious obstacles to the cultivation of the hawthorn 

 as a hedge plant in the United States. Forty- seven species of 

 JEcidium and three of Roestelia are reported by M. C. Cooke. In 

 relation to the ravages of this order of fungi P. H, Foster, proprietor 

 of Babylon Nurseries, Babylon, Long Island, writes to the Com- 

 missioner of Agriculture, on the 1st of August last, as follows : — 



" I send you a specimen of a disease which occurs on some 

 American white-ash trees, which I imported from Flushing, New 

 York. I have noticed the disease on them during the last two 

 seasons. It first makes its appearance early in the season on the 

 leaves, and finally attacks the young wood, as may be seen on the 

 specimens enclosed. It is evidently of fungoid origin. I have 

 many thousands of plants of American white-ash, from two to three 

 years old, planted in my nurseries, none of which are afiected with 

 this disease. I have also some European ash, which appear to be 

 very susceptible to it. I wish to obtain a remedy. The loss of so 

 valuable a timber-tree would be too great for our country to bear." 



The Department will at an early day commence a series of 

 experiments, having relation to the best mode of treatment of plants 

 afiected with this fungoid form of disease. The results of the 

 experiments will be published in the monthly reports. 



VI. — Points in the Histology of the Human Kidney. 



By E. Branwell, Brighton. 



The great and varied importance of a correct histology of the kidney 

 is fully recognized on all sides ; in the interest of one of its chief 

 bearings, viz. the pathology of the organ, I beg space in the Journal 

 for some observations referring to the structure and function of the 

 malpighian body, and the convoluted urinary tubule. 



The well-known doctrines of Bowman's school in relation to 

 these structures are still held valid by renal physiologists ; and more 

 than that, they are practically treated as indisputable. 



And yet every independent inquirer must have had difficulty in 

 reahzing the truth of some of Bowman's descriptions ; so much so 

 indeed, that assent to them is probably often compelled, by the 

 weight alone of that great teacher's deserved authority. 



Thus the malpighian body is described as a flask-hke expansion 

 of the upper end or commencement of the urinary tubule (Bowman's 

 capsule) , which receives within it the afierent artery ; this artery 

 as then breaking up into branches, which after running a short 

 course as arterioles or capillaries, return and again reunite to form 

 the efibrent vein ; the connection between the artery and vein con- 



