ORGANS OF THE BODY. 



447 



cavity of the infundibulum. Behind the canal the glandular tissue 

 assumes a somewhat different character. Here we remark, besides, a 

 finely granular mass and free nuclei, cells, whose bodies seem poor in 

 granular substance. Colloid vesicles are also to be found here ; the frame- 

 work is formed of a somewhat more highly developed connective-tissue 

 than elsewhere. 



The pituitary body is richly supplied with interlacing capillaries, 

 0'0050 mm. in diameter, the anterior portion being most vascular 

 (Peremeschko). 



Some years ago an extraordinary little organ, of roundish figure, and 

 about 2 mm. in diameter, was discovered by Luechka, which, owing to 

 its position on the tip of the 

 coccyx, he named coccygeal 

 gland. The structure of this 

 body, as described by the dis- 

 coverer, resembles, if we except 

 several peculiarities, in general 

 that of the blood -vascular 

 glands, namely, the hypophysis 

 cerebri and suprarenal capsules. 

 The subsequent researches of 

 Henle, Krause, and KoeUiker, 

 have not shown any essential 

 inaccuracies in his description. 



Like the pituitary body, the 

 coccygeal gland is placed at 

 one extremity of the sympa- 

 thetic chain ; and, like the 

 suprarenal capsule, it is rich in 

 nervous elements. As gland- 

 ular elements, it is stated to 

 contain round vesicles and 

 simple and branching follicles, 

 imbedded in a tolerably solid 

 connective-tissue interspersed 

 with numerous elongated nuclei. 



The coccygeal gland, which 

 is very vascular, receives its 

 blood from a branch of the sacralis media. 



The accuracy of this description has, however, been recently questioned 

 by /. Arnold, in toto. According to him, the organ does not contain 

 glandular elements, but belongs rather to the vascular system, being 

 composed of a multitude of saccules communicating with the arterial 

 twigs of the part (fig. 430, b, c). When strongly marked these may 

 form a system of convoluted diverticula, recalling to our minds the 

 glomeruli of the kidney, and possessing always^the same structure as the 

 walls of arteries, with a strongly developed external layer of longitudinal 

 muscle fibres (h, i). Groups of these saccules may open immediately into 

 the arterial twigs (a), and are like them filled with blood ; they may, 

 however, owing to the fineness of the afferent and efferent blood-vessels 

 (d, e,f), appear to be completely closed on all sides. These statements 

 have, however, been again questioned. The glandular structure of the 

 organ has once more been insisted on, the cells supposed by Arnold to be 



Fig. 430. Vascular diverticulurn, 6, c, of the coccygeal 

 gland lined with endotlielium ; a, afferent, d, efferent 

 arterial twig; e. /, brandies which break up into a 

 capillary netwoik; h, t, muscular tissue; g, envelope 

 (alter Arnold). 



