BRUNN'S GLANDS. 311 



these bodies seems, however, to prove that they are not 

 mere temporary gland-cells which thus discharge their 

 elaborated contents into the intestine and then disappear, 

 but that they are rather to be regarded as structures 

 analogous to lymphatic or absorbent glands, and that 

 their office is to take up certain materials from the chyle, 

 elaborate and subsequently discharge them into the lacteals, 

 with which vessels they appear to be closely connected, 

 although no direct communication has been proved to 

 exist between them. 



Moreover, it has been lately suggested that since the 

 molecular and cellular contents of the glands are so 

 abundantly traversed by minute blood-vessels, important 

 changes may mutually take place between these contents 

 and the blood in the vessels, material being abstracted 

 from the latter, elaborated by the cells, and then restored 

 to the blood, much in the same manner as is believed to 

 be the case in the so-called vascular glands, such as the 

 spleen, thymus, and others ; and that thus Peyer's glands 

 should also be regarded as closely analogous to these vas- 

 cular glands. Possibly they may combine the functions 

 both of lymphatic and vascular glands, absorbing and 

 elaborating material both from the chyle and from the 

 blood within their minute vessels, and transmitting part 

 to the lacteal system and part direct to the blood. 



Brunrfs glands (fig. 79) are confined to the duodenum ; 

 they are most abundant and thickly set at the commence- 

 ment of this portion of the intestine, diminishing gradually 

 as the duodenum advances. Situated beneath the mucous 

 membrane, and imbedded in the submucous tissue, they 

 are minutely lobulated bodies, visible to the naked eye, like 

 detached small portions of pancreas, and provided with 

 permanent gland- ducts, which pass through the mucous 

 membrane and open on the internal surface of the intestine. 

 As in structure, so probably in function, they resemble the 

 pancreas ; or at least stand to it in a similar relation to 



