EXTRACT L. B. 



ON THE LACHRYMAL GLANDS. 



THE lachrymal glands seem to us to uesemble the coccygeal 

 gland in anatomical texture, and, like it, to constitute a 

 part of the great "system" of excretory organs for emptying 

 or running off, by their functional exercise, the super- 

 abundant fluid contents of the cerebro-spinal lymph spaces. 

 At least this constitutes part of the function of these glands, 

 and is operative when the necessity arises, as in over- 

 distention of these lymph spaces, or on occasion of glandular 

 activity, such as may arise in weeping ; another part of 

 their glandular function being, when fluid cannot be drawn 

 from cerebro-spinal sources, the extraction by the proper 

 gland structures of the appropriate materials from their 

 blood supply or contents which can be resorted to, to meet 

 any temporary necessity. Thus, the constant necessity of 

 maintaining an uninterrupted supply of appropriate fluid 

 for lubricating and other purposes is met and ensured by 

 these double sources of supply, the neural and haemal, in 

 the important structures constituting and surrounding the 

 orbital and auditory, and, by similar means, the anal orifices 

 of the body. In textural arrangements and anatomical 

 characteristics these glands, the lachrymal and coccygeal, 

 closely resemble each other, the great difference being that 

 the lachrymal are symmetrically disposed on the two sides 

 of the body to meet the requirements of its two sides, 

 while the coccygeal gland is centrally situated to afford an 

 outlet to the single posterior termination of the spinal 

 cord, the filum terminate. The anterior and double and 

 the posterior and single glandular structures here men- 



