488 



MANUAL OF HISTOLOGY. 



completely closed, and contains imbedded nuclei, sends no processes into 

 the interior of the gland vesicles. 



Fig. 478. One of Brunner's glands from the human being. 



These organs appear to be richly supplied with lymphatic vessels of 

 large size, which penetrate between their vesicles and lobules. 



The secretion of these glands appears to be peculiar. According to 

 Schwalbe, the contents manifest considerable similarity to those of the 

 stomachal mucous glands already alluded to ( 251). Heidenhain tells 

 us that in the dog, at least, the cellular elements 

 of Brunner's glands present the same changes in 

 the fasting and digesting condition that were 

 observed by EbsUin, in those of the stomachal 

 mucous membrane. 



According to Budge and Krolow, the contents 

 of these organs convert (in the pig) starch into 

 dextrin and grape sugar, and dissolve fibrin at 35 

 C., but have no effect, on the other hand, on either 

 coagulated albumen or fat. In the dog and horse 

 the secretion is rather viscid, and contains a 

 considerable amount of mucus (Costa). 



The crypts of Lielerkuhn, on the other hand, 

 are glands of far greater importance. They are 

 to a certain extent a modified extension of the 

 mucous glands, as they are called, of the stomach. 

 The whole of the mucous membrane of the 

 small intestine, like that of the stomach, is beset 

 with an enormous number of these crypts crowded 

 closely together perpendicular to the surface of the membrane (fig. 479). 

 The arrangement of their vascular supply is similar to that of the peptic 

 glands. 



The length of these crypts is less than that of the gastric tubuli, ranging 

 from 0-3767 to 0-4512 mm., with a breadth of 0'0564-0'0902. mm. 

 Their membrana propria is hardly distinguishable from the surrounding 

 connective-tissue. It is delicate, and the outline of the tube is conse- 

 quently smooth. At its blind end we may either find a dilatation or 

 decrease in calibre. 



Fig. 479. Lieberkuhn' s glands 

 from the cat, with broken 

 down cellular contents. 



