ROBERT RUSSELL BENSLEY 11 



tion. Kolossow (1898), by means of his osmic-acid reduction method, obtained similar 

 pictures in the salivary glands, and recently Maximow (1901) has demonstrated it by 

 thionin staining in the mucous salivary glands. The writer has repeatedly called atten- 

 tion to this phenomenon in the mucous-secreting cells of the stomach. A character 

 which reappears with such constancy in similar cells from so many different sources 

 must have a very important significance. 



The network which is visible in the clear zones of these cells is neither a true 

 cytoplasmic reticulum (spongioplasma) nor an alveolar structure (Wabenstructur), 

 but is probably a derivative of the latter. In sections stained intensely in iron alum 

 hsematoxylin it is possible to follow the threads of the network by focusing. In such 

 preparations it is seen that, in a great many cases, they are not fibers, as would appear 

 at first sight, but thin laminae which intersect and join to form the visible network. 

 The spaces of this network are, however, everywhere continuous with one another. 

 Often, however, the proximal mass of secretion near the nucleus exhibits a true alveo- 

 lar structure, the spaces being rounded cavities containing reserve secretion, separated 

 completely from one another by the continuous cytoplasm of the zone. It is easily 

 conceivable that the latter structure has given rise to the former by the increase in 

 size and partial coalescence of the small secretion spaces. Usually there is a very 

 obvious difference in the amount of residual cytoplasm contained in the proximal and 

 in the distal clear zones respectively, the proximal zone exhibiting smaller spaces and 

 larger cytoplasmic trabeculae than the distal zone. 



The cytoplasm of these cells does not contain basal filaments, but the presence of 

 a small amount of cytoplasmic nucleoproteid is indicated by the feeble but positive 

 reactions for iron obtained by Macallum's methods. 



In order to study under the best conditions the reciprocal relations of the cyto- 

 plasm and secretion, it was necessary to have an intense stain of the masses of secre- 

 tion, leaving the cytoplasm unstained. The various synthetic dyes which were tried 

 did not yield very satisfactory results, as, although a positive result was obtained with 

 thionin, toluidin blue, and methyl blue, the stain was not sufficiently selective to per- 

 mit of accurate definition of the cytoplasm and secretion respectively. By means of 

 P. Mayer's muchsematein the writer obtained a very intense and satisfactory stain of 

 the secretion by transferring thin sections cut in paraffin, from benzole to absolute 

 alcohol, and then to the stain, but was unsuccessful with similar sections fastened to 

 the slide. It was subsequently found that, by gradually increasing the strength of the 

 solution without altering the relative proportions of its solid constituents, a solution 

 was obtained which could be used for staining sections fastened to the slide, with cer- 

 tainty of speedy and satisfactory results. The procedure is as follows : The stain 

 consists of hsematein, 1 g., aluminium chloride, 0.5 g., 70 per cent, alcohol, 100 c.c. 

 The hfflmateiu and chloride are rubbed up together in a mortar, then mixed with the 

 alcohol, the whole being allowed to stand a week to insure perfect ripeness of the solu- 

 tion. During this week the solution deepens in color, and its staining power for mucin 



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