THE SUPRARENAL BODIES. 



1805 



into the cords of medullary cells which lie directly in contact with the endothelium of the 

 veins. The subsequent ingrowth of the nervous constituents provides the unusually 

 rich supply of nerve-fibres and ganglion- 

 cells distinguishing the medulla. These F IG. I 5 2 8. 

 organs are proportionally very large in 

 the foetus (Fig. 1529). At birth the 

 antero-posterior diameter is i cm. and the 

 greatest transverse diameter at the base is 



FIG. 1527. 



Central 

 vein 



Section of suprarenal body, showing portions of cortex 

 and medulla. X 225. 



Section of injected suprarenal body ; the 

 vessels in lower third of figure are chiefly tribu- 

 taries to the central vein. X 25. 



FIG. 1529. 



[_ Suprarenal 



1.5 cm. ; the length from the apex to the anterior end of the base is 3.5 cm. and to 

 the posterior end 1.5 cm. At this age the suprarenal covers most of the upper half 

 of the kidney. At an earlier period these organs are markedly lobulated so as closely 

 to resemble the kidneys ; at term, however, 

 the lobulation has nearly disappeared. 



Accessory Suprarenals. These are 

 mostly very small, rarely surpassing a pea 

 in size. They may be found near the su- 

 prarenal body, in the kidney, in the liver, 

 in the solar and renal plexuses, or beside 

 the testis or the ovary. The accessory su- 

 prarenal situated within the broad ligament 

 in the vicinity of the ovary is regarded by 

 Marchand and others as a normal and 

 almost constant organ. The latter under- 

 goes compensatory hypertrophy after re- 

 moval of the chief suprarenal. The in- 

 vestigations of Aichel emphasize that the 

 organs included under the designation 

 ' ' accessory suprarenals' ' comprise two 

 groups of structures of different origin and 

 morphological significance. Those asso- 



ciated in position with the chief organ, as when in the kidney or liver, are derived 

 from separated and isolated portions of the principal anlage of the suprarenal, and, 



Suprarenal 



Kidney 



Ureter 



Fallopian tube 



Round ligament 



Bladder 



Dissection of three months female foetus, show- 

 ing huge suprarenals, lobed kidneys, and sexual 

 glands. 



