24 



s. HOLTII ANO O. liKK.NKK. M.-N. Kl. 



I am unfortunately unable to contribiiic jjcL^onally towards the solution 

 of this question, and 1 will confine myself to directing attention to my 

 fig. 1 6, which shows a peculiar groujjing of the myoglia fibrils in bundles. 

 The bundles are also slightly pointed at the ends, and the figure, which 

 agrees very well with the illustrations given by Retziüs and Ulerfokdt 

 and by Forsmark, leaves a certain impression that also in the membrane 

 of Bruch the dilatator is built up of small parts which are not quite fused 

 together; but whether this impression is correct can only be decided by 

 future investigation. 



Great difference of opinion also exists as to the mutual relation of the 

 dilatator and the sphincter. Some investigators maintain that there is no 

 connection between them, others that there is only an indirect connection 

 by the aid of connective tissue, while a third group of authors considers 

 that there is a direct connection between the two muscles, as there are 

 offshoots that pass from one to the other; but to which of the two muscles 

 these connecting fibres belong is the point of dispute. 



As it might reasonably be expected that my material, with its marked 

 disturbances in development, might throw light upon this difficult question, 

 I will give an account of my discoveries, as although I am unable to con- 

 tribute very much to its elucidation, they should be described for the sake 

 of future research. 



I will preface my description by remarking that Gry.nfeltt, who, as 

 far as I can see, is the only writer who maintains that there is no con- 

 nection between the two muscles, is wrong, and that I also pass over the 

 group of writers who maintain that the connection is only indirect and 

 through the medium of connective tissue, and 1 declare mj- agreement with 

 those who maintain the existence of a direct muscular connection between 

 the two muscles. 



This connection is particularly well marked in my material, and it will 

 be seen from the photograph reproduced in fig. 17 how the sphincter, 

 which is functionally uncontrolled, draws the dilatator out in long diverti- 

 cula, which extend far into the stroma. 



As regards the connecting fibres, both the long — the ''Speichen- 

 bündel" of the German writers — and the short are very distinct, as the 

 the photograph in fig. 18 and the drawing in fig. 6 show. They are also 

 very numerous. 



As regards the question of their derivation — whether they should 

 be ascribed to the dilatator or to the sphincter — I am unable to give 

 any answer, because in my material there is no aplasia of the dilatator in 



