SECT. 1 60.] ARRANGEMENT OF HEPATIC CELLS. 



345 



undergo no change of colour on the addition of nitric acid, and do 

 not dissolve in caustic alkalies. 



The hepatic cells arc so arranged in the hepatic islets as to form 

 longer or shorter columns, which unite by short lateral anas- 

 tomoses, and form in this manner a close network. The simple or 

 branched rows of hepatic cells, which are always met with among 

 the scraped-off particles of the liver, are nothing else than j rag- 

 in .ids of this hepatic cell-network, whose elements are not very 

 firmly connected. Considered as a whole, the network of each 

 hepatic lobule presents, at the periphery, roundish meshes; in the 

 centre, on the other Fig. ho. 



hand, always a ra- 

 diated arrangement, 

 ami in such a manner, 

 that in transverse sec- 

 tions, passing through 

 the central vein, elon- 

 gated and ramified 

 trabecular of hepatic 

 cells appear to spread 

 out from the latter, 

 with small lateral 

 auastomoses towards 

 all sides, the meshes 

 between them appear- 

 ing as long narrow 

 fissures. The trabecular, or columns, of the hepatic cells consist 

 sometimes of 1 to 3, more rarely of 4 to 5 rows of cells ; they have 

 a diameter of o - oi'" to o - oi5'" in the average, croo6'" to crca"' in the 

 extremes, and are, in general, cylindrical or prismatic, although 

 by no means regularly so ; but sometimes of one form, sometimes 

 of another, with arched, and even in some places depressed sur- 

 faces, and rounded or sharp borders. The meshes of the hepatic 

 cell-network correspond to the diameters of the capillaries and the 

 larger adjoining vessels of the hepatic islets, by which, during life, 

 they are completely filled, as will be noticed more fully below. 



According to the above, the secerning parenchyma of the liver 

 contains throughout no canals which could be designated as finest 

 or secreting biliary canals, as has been assumed by many authors 

 ( ffenle, Gerlach, Hyrtl, N. Guillot, Lereboullet), but consist of 

 solid networks of the hepatic cell-columns, which view was first dis- 

 tinctly asserted by me in 1852, and also estimated physiologically, 



Network of hepatic cells, of man ; magnified 350 times. 

 Spaces for the vessels ; b. hepatic cells ; c. vascular spaces. 



