KOBEKT RUSSELL BENSLEY 15 



A feature of some interest is the relation of the granules of secretion, as seen in 

 muchsematein preparations, to the nucleus of the cell. Frequently only one of the two 

 masses above described may be seen, namely that which corresponds to the proximal mass, 

 the edge of the cell along the lumen, in this case being cy toplasmic in nature. The obvious 

 interpretation of this fact is that at the last period of activity this cell has thrown out 

 all of its reserve secretion and that, while this has been going on, the cytoplasm has 

 been increasing in amount and new granules have been forming in the proximal seg- 

 ment of the cell between the nucleus and the mass of old secretion. In the majority 

 of cells, however, only a portion of the reserve secretion is so discharged and new 

 granules are deposited alongside of the old ones in the interior of the cell. 



The formation of new secretion in mucin-forming cells in close proximity to the 

 nucleus has been observed by Krause (1895) in the cells of the retrolingual gland of 

 Erinaceus, and more recently has been demonstrated by Maximow (1901) in the cells 

 of the retrolingual gland of the dog. The meaning of this phenomenon is not clear, 

 for although Carlier (1899) has demonstrated in the large mucous cells of the gastric 

 glands of the newt, morphological changes of the nucleus in the different phases of 

 secretion identical with those exhibited by the pepsin-forming cells, yet microchemical 

 study does not reveal in mucous cells, as it does in many serous cells, the presence in the 

 cytoplasm in large amount of an undoubted product of nuclear activity (prozymogen, 

 ergastoplasm of Cade and Crarnier). It is possible that the transformation of the 

 substances received by the cell into mucin is accomplished by the agency of an enzyme 

 formed in the nucleus. A further possibility is the effect of the presence, in relation 

 with the proximal mass of secretion of the canals of Holmgren's trophospongium, 

 although I have not yet been able to demonstrate such canals in the cells of the glands 

 of Brunner. 



If one compares the foregoing description of the cells of the glands of Brunner 

 with the account of the cells of the retrolingual gland of the dog, recently published 

 by Maximow (1901), he cannot fail to be struck by the extraordinary resemblance, 

 extending even to the minutest details, between these two kinds of glands. In fact, 

 if we leave out of account the serous tubules and cells of the retrolingual gland, the 

 description would apply equally well to both. In the case of the glands of Brunner, 

 it is not possible to collect the secretion as it flows from the gland and examine it 

 chemically, but there are many reasons for supposing it to consist, like that of the 

 retrolingual gland, largely of mucin. These reasons are briefly: (1) the strong 

 resemblance in structure and physiological phases to cells known to be engaged in the 

 secretion of mucin, e.g., glandula sublingualis of the dog ; (2) the stain, obtained in 

 strong muchsematein and mucicarmine, in which the protoplasm of the cylindrical, 

 intestinal epithelium cells and the granules of the cells of Paneth remain colorless ; 

 the feeble metachromatic stain occasionally obtained in thionin ; and (3) the solubility 

 in weak alkaline solutions. The latter fact I have established by using muchsematein 

 as an indicator. I found that if sections attached to the slide were treated with a 5 



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