OF THE GLANDS OF THE SKIN. 203 



that, occasionally, the sudoriparous glands in other situations, as, for 

 instance, in the areola of the nipple, contain a fluid abounding in granules, 

 it is clear that it is unadvisable to distinguish the large axillary glands 

 from the common kind, on account of the difference in their secretion ; 

 and the more so, indeed, because we by no means know whether the 

 latter, under certain circumstances, may not contain granules. 



As respects the origin of the granular contents, they must be referred 

 to the cells which are developed in the glandular tubes. For we fre- 

 quently meet in these with cells containing the same granules, which 

 also occur free within the glandular canals ; and frequently may be said 

 to constitute their whole contents. It sometimes happens, also, that in 

 one and the same gland the ends of the glandular tubes contain nothing 

 but cells, while the excretory duct exhibits hardly any trace of them, 

 presenting merely granules and scattered free nuclei ; and in this case 

 we can easily see that the cells, as they pass further upwards, become 

 broken up to a greater and greater extent, thus setting free their nuclei 

 and the granules in their interior. These cells plainly proceed from 

 the epithelial cells lining the canal of the sudoriparous coil ; for, in the 

 first place, the cells of the contents of the epithelium resemble one an- 

 other in all respects ; and secondly, where cellular or granular contents 

 are found in the glands themselves, the epithelium is for the most part 

 completely absent, so that the former rests immediately upon the muscu- 

 lar membrane. Now, since on the other hand, in those glands which 

 contain only a clear fluid, the epithelium is always easily seen, and 

 often presents many dark (even golden yellow) pigment granules in its 

 cells, it may perhaps be assumed, that the cells in the contents are 

 nothing but detached epithelium, and that the secretion mainly depends 

 upon a growth and continual casting off of the epithelial cells. 



The examination of the secretion of the sudoriparous glands is neither 

 chemically nor microscopically complete. As regards the former, the 

 fact that the axillary glands secrete fat and a nitrogenous substance 

 in large quantities, appear to me interesting, since from the obvious 

 similarity in structure between these and the other sudoriparous glands, 

 we may perhaps draw some conclusions as to the secretion of the latter. 

 We already know that the ordinary perspiration contains nitrogenous 

 matters (extractive) ; and as Krause (1. c., p. 146) has clearly shown, 

 fat, also ; and it may be asked whether these substances do not perhaps 

 in certain situations (e. g. hand, foot) occur more abundantly, or under 

 certain conditions (local, adhesive, peculiarly odorous perspiration) 

 increase in quantity. The so-called sweat-corpuscles of Henle (1. c., 

 pp. 915 and 939), that is, structures similar to the mucus-corpuscles, I 



of Med. Science, 184G), are much larger than in the White. To the secretion of these large 

 glands indeed, the peculiar smell of Negroes is attributed. 



In the groin sudoriparous glands very similar in their structure to these axillary glands are 

 met with. DaC.] 



