136 DR. E. KLEIN. 



the fibrils of the intracellular network and the nucleus, although 

 of the network of this latter, for obvious reasons, little can be 

 made out. 



From these facts it appears to me that the discussion whether 

 goblet cells are still to be regarded as living cells, or only as 

 degenerated forms of them, loses much of its ground, for the 

 goblet cell is possessed of precisely the same structural attributes 

 as the ordinary columnar epithelial cell from which it is derived, 

 viz. intracellular network of fibrils, nucleus, and a connection 

 between the two. The goblet cell differs from the ordinary 

 epithelial cell only in so far as the interfibrillar or interstitial 

 substance — which is very scarce in the latter — has changed into 

 hygroscopic mucin (or mucigen), and thereby has swollen up to 

 an extreme degree, in consequence of which the network has be- 

 come much more opened, and the shape of the ordinary epithelial 

 cell has changed into the characteristic goblet. Granted goblet 

 cells are present already during life, if they were due to a de- 

 generation of the ordinary epithelial cells it would be necessary 

 to assume that they have to be got rid of by the mucosa, and 

 that the non- degenerated epithelium had to make up for the 

 defect thus created. 



Now, it would be impossible to accept this last assumption 

 if we bear in mind that in some intestines the number of goblet 

 cells is far greater than that of the ordinary epithelial cells. 



If part of jejunum of a half-grown dog be examined three to 

 four hours after partaking of food, the epithelium will be found to 

 abound in goblet cells, both that of the surface as well as that of 

 Lieberkilhn^s crypts. In sections hardened with spirit^ this will 

 be seen verified. But comparing with this the jejunum of a dog of 

 about the same age that had not been fed for ten to twelve hours, 

 it will be found that the number of goblet cells is greatly smaller. 

 This very well agrees with the assertions of F. E. Schulze, that 

 the goblet cell is a particular stage in the mucous secretion of 

 the ordinary columnar epithelial cell. I have sections through 

 the jejunum (hardened in spirit) of cat, in which both the 

 epithelium hning the crypts of Lieberkiihn and those covering the 

 villi contain many goblet cells. Those at the top of the villi possess 

 still their mucin — marked by the deep purple-blue staining — 

 those at the sides and base of villi and of the crypts have got 

 rid of it, their contents being quite unstained ;2 and it is in these 



^ Since Lipsky it is well known that chromic acid hardening increases 

 the number of goblet cells, but spirit has no such tendency. 



^ I am, however, not quite certain whether this condition does not 

 correspond rather to a state, when the meshes of the intracellular network 

 contain mucigen — that does not stain in haematoxylin ; so that this state 

 would precede the one, when the contents of that network is mucin, i. e, 

 does stain in haematoxylin. 



