4 2 4 



THE SUPRARENAL CAPSULES. 



[SECT. 193. 



Fig. 17G. 



before they leave the envelope. Then, breaking up into numerous 

 fine twigs, they dip into the septa of connective tissue in the 

 cortex, and run in these directly towards the medulla. In their 

 course they become smaller and smaller, and are connected to- 

 gether by numerous transverse anastomoses, so that the cortical 

 cylinders are surrounded by blood on all sides. The extremities 

 of these vessels extend into the medulla, and form in it a dense 

 capillary net-work of somewhat larger vessels, by anastomosing 

 with the arteries which pass into it directly (some of which, how- 

 ever, in the sheep, according to Nagel, pass quite out of the medulla 

 back into the cortex). The veins arise chiefly from the latter 

 capillary net-work, and unite within the medullary substance to 



form the principal vein of the organ — the 

 vena suprarenalis — which passes out at the 

 anterior surface from the so-called hilus, and 

 opens on the right side into the vena cava, 

 and on the left, into the renal vein. A con- 

 siderable number of small veins also pass 

 out of the cortex, and these partly accom- 

 pany the arteries in pairs, and open into the 

 renal and phrenic veins, and into the vena 

 cava. As for lymphatic vessels, I have 

 hitherto only seen some trunk lets on the 

 surface of the organ, but none in the interior 

 or coming from it. — The nerves of the supra- 

 renal capsules, as Bergmann correctly stated, 

 are extremely numerous, and come from the 

 semilunar ganglion and the renal plexus ; 

 according to Bergmann, a small part comes 

 also from the vagus and phrenic. In man, 

 I counted thirty-three nervous trunks on 

 the right suprarenal capsule, eight having a 

 diameter of -f to -* T "'; five, from Jj'" to J/'; 

 seven measuring ^V'" to -J-/" ; and thirteen, 

 to 3-y in diameter ; and found them to 



Transverse section of the 

 suprarenal capsule of the 

 calf, magnified about 15 

 times, and treated with 

 caustic soda.  a. cortex ; b. 

 medulla ; c. central vein 

 surrounded by some cortical 

 substance ; d. three entering 

 nervous trunks ; e. nerves, 

 and their distribution in the 

 interior. 



46 



consist almost without exception of dark 

 bordered nerve-tubes, fine and of medium thickness ; some, how- 

 ever, actually of the thicker kind. In colour they were whitish 

 or white, and were studded with separate ganglia of various size. 

 The nerves pass to the organ, especially at the lower half and at 

 the internal border, and all appear to be destined for the medul- 

 lary substance ; here Ave always find (at least in the lower mam- 



