Studies on the Endocrine Glands 301 



vacuolation in the alveolar cells, nor any appreciable chanpje in the 

 islets. 



Potassium Carbonate, Potassium Phosphate, and 



Potassium Sulphate. 



The above salts, even with double doses, fed to rats during five days 

 along with their normal food, produced no special symptoms, and had no 

 appreciable effect upon the weights of the animals. 



Pancreas. — On microscopic examination of the pancreas it is 

 found that in nearly all cases the alveoli are small, and under a low 

 power appear more compact than normal. The alveolar cells are also 

 smaller than in the normal condition. In the rats fed with potas- 

 sium carbonate (Nos. 84 and 8.5) the inner zone is faintly stained with 

 hpematoxylin and is not sharply distinguished from the outer zone. 

 In all there are a few large nuclei, with abundance of coarse chromatin 

 granules. The large nuclei are stained deeply in the hsematoxylin 

 preparations. In the potassium-carbonate fed rats some of the alve- 

 olar cells have only scanty zymogen granules; most of the cells 

 contain granules which are stained faintly red by Mallory ; these are 

 scattered in the protoplasm, and are not confined to the inner zone. 

 In no case was there any evidence of mitosis, nor any vacuolation in 

 the cytoplasm. 



Mercuric Chloride. 



This salt was administered (a) intravenously, and (b) subcutaneously. 



(a) 1 c.c. of a 0-3 per cent, water-solution of mercuric chloride was 

 injected into the caudal vein of a large male rat (No. 90, weight 190 grm.). 

 Fourteen hours after the injection the animal appeared to be moribund ; 

 it was therefore killed and examined. 



Post-mortem there is general hyperemia of the abdominal organs, 

 especially of the intestines. 



Pancreas. — The pancreas shows, on microscopic examination, 

 smaller alveoli than normal, giving a compact appearance under a 

 low power, but there is otherwise not much difierence from normal. 

 There are abundance of zymogen granules and no evidence of mitosis. 



(b) Animal No. 91 (weight 150 grm.) received 1 c.c. of a 0*1 per cent, 

 watery solution of mercuric chloride, administered subcutaneously. It was 

 killed twenty-eight hours after the injection. 



Post-mortem the locality of the injection shows a certain amount of 

 oedema. There is again general hyperaemia of the abdominal organs, 

 especially of the intestines. 



Pancreas. — The pancreas is reddish-pink in colour. The micro- 

 scopic appearances are much the same as in 90, but some of the 

 cells show mitoses.^ There is no indication of vacuolation. Zymogen 



1 It may be noted, with regard to the mitosis produced by corrosive sublimate in the 

 pancreas, that this does not appear, as with thyroid feeding and with sodium iodide adminis- 

 tration, to be confined to that organ ; for cells in other organs, such as the liver, ovary, and 

 submaxillary gland, also exhibit mitoses after poisoning with this salt. 



