CHAPTEE Y. 



PHYSIOLOGICAL ANATOMY OF THE KIDNEYS. 



Situation, form, and size of the kidneys Coats of the kidneys Division of the 

 substance of the kidneys Pelvis, calices, and infundibula Pyramids 

 Cortex Columns of Bertin Pyramidal substance Pyramids of Ferrein 

 Tubes of Bellini Cortical substance Malpighian bodies Convoluted 

 tubes Narrow tubes of Henle Intermediate tubes Distribution of blood- 

 vessels in the kidney Vessels of the Malpighian bodies Plexus around 

 the convoluted tubes Veins of the kidney Stars of Verheyen Lym- 

 phatics and nerves of the kidney Summary of the physiological anatomy 

 of the kidney. 



THE urine is generally regarded by physiologists as the 

 type of the excrementitious fluids, it having no function to 

 perform in the economy, but being simply retained in the 

 bladder to be voided at convenient intervals. All the re- 

 marks, indeed, that have been made concerning excretion 

 in general may be applied without reserve to the action of 

 the kidneys; and there are few subjects in physiology of 

 greater interest than the process of urinary excretion, with 

 its relations to nutrition and disassimilation. In entering 

 upon the study of the functions of the kidneys, it will be 

 found useful to consider certain points in their anatomy. 



The kidneys are symmetrical organs, situated beneath the 

 peritoneum in the lumbar region, invested by a proper fibrous 

 coat, and always surrounded by more or less adipose tissue. 

 They usually extend from the eleventh or twelfth rib down- 

 ward to near the crest of the ilium ; and the right is always 

 a little lower than the left. In shape, the kidney is very 



