154 



DIGESTION. 



the follicles and reach even to their blind extremities (Fig. 42) ; only in 

 the interior of the follicles they are shorter, less transparent, and more 

 glandular in appearance than on the free surface of the mucous mem- 

 brane. 



In the cardiac portion of the stomach the superficial part of the 

 mucous membrane contains wide depressions or tubes, lined with large 

 cylindrical epithelium cells. These tubes, at a short distance below 

 the surface, are joined each by two or more tubular follicles, lined with 

 small glandular epithelium cells, and terminating below, like the pre- 

 ceding, in rounded extremities (Fig. 43). 



Fig. 43. 



Fig. 44. 



GASTRIC FOLLICLES, from Pig's Sto- 

 mach, Cardiac portion. At a, two follicles 

 joining a larger tube ; 6, portion of a tube 

 seen endwise ; c, its centra/I cavity. 



G-ASTRIO FOLLICLES, with large gland- 

 ular cells ; from middle portion of Pig's 

 Stomach. 



In the mucous membrane of both the fundus and middle portion of 

 the stomach, but especially in the middle portion, there are follicles 

 which are distinguished by containing, in addition to the cylindrical or 

 small glandular epithelium cells, larger spheroidal cells of peculiar 

 aspect. As already mentioned, these follicles are usually compound, 

 but they are also met with of a simple tubular form. The spherical 

 cells which they contain are usually most abundant in their lower 

 portions, but are often more distinctly defined in the middle part of the 

 follicle. These cells are rounded in form, about 20 mmm. in diameter, 

 finely granular, and provided with well-marked oval nuclei. They nearly 

 fill the cavity of the follicle, and also project laterally from its external 

 surface, giving to it from this cause an extremely characteristic varicose 

 or irregularly tumefied appearance (Fig. 44). In the compound follicles 

 of the cardiac portion of the human stomach (Fig. 45), the spherical cells 

 are found more or less abundantly throughout their deeper and middle 



