832 



SUPRA-RENAL CAPSULES. 



may be seen, on which an enclosing mem- 

 brane plainly exists. 



The cell development just described holds 

 .good of the supra-renal capsules of all Ver- 

 tebrata. It is thus of very wide distribution. 

 These cells are designated by the name of 

 globules of circumposition (umhullungskugeln). 

 The so-called granule-cells, or inflammatory 

 globules, belong to the same class ; as also do 

 the globules of fission which originate from 

 the breaking up of the yolk. And I have also 

 observed that the polyhedral pigment cells of 

 the choroid coat of the eye are formed in the 

 same way. Finally (and of immediate interest 

 in this place), I have found that the cells 

 of many other glands are similarly formed j 

 namely, the cells of the tubular gastric 

 glands, the glands of Lieberkuhn and of the 

 large intestine, the glands of Brnnner, and 

 probably also those which occur in the uri- 

 nary tubules of the kidney. It may also be 

 conjectured that the cells of other glands will 

 be found to originate in the same way. 



By a gradual enlargement these cells of the 

 cortical substance are metamorphosed into 

 gland-vesicles (e, Jig. 542.) ; so that while in 

 the large gland-vesicles cells and nuclei occur 

 in numbers, the smaller ones contain only a 

 solitary nucleus. These smallest gland-vesicle s 

 are no way distinguishable from the larger cells; 

 they also are cells, and the glandular con- 

 tents are exactly those of the cell, and the 

 membrana propria is identical with the cell 

 membrane. The contrast between these 

 vesicles and cells a contrast upon which 

 Ecker has laid particu'ar stress is of little 

 importance. According to this observer, the 

 membrana propria of the vesicle is unchanged 

 by solution of potash, while, on the contrary, 

 the membrane of the cell is dissolved by 

 it. But by a repetition of the experiment 

 one may be assured that it is only a dilute 

 solution which leaves the membrana propria 

 unaffected, and that by a more concentrated 

 solution it is dissolved just as much as the 

 cell-membrane. The difference is thus only 

 quantitative, and is in exact conformity with 

 the gradually increasing hardness of the mem- 

 brane. 



When fine sections of the medullary sub- 

 stance of the human supra-renal capsule are 

 examined with the aid of the microscope, it 

 is seen to be considerably clearer and more 

 transparent than the cortical substance ; a 

 circumstance which essentially depends on 

 the fact, that the fatty granules occur more 

 sparingly in the former than in the latter. In 

 Man, and in most of the other Mammalia, it 

 is rendered very distinguishable from the cor- 

 tical substance by the absence of the gland- 

 vesicles. It is found to consist of a basis of 

 fibrous tissue, which is formed by processes 

 that come off from the sheath of the cortical 

 substance, and in which numerous blood-ves- 

 sels and nerves take their course. In the 

 mass of areolar tissue the pulverulent mole- 

 cules above described are also met with ; and 

 besides these, nuclei and cells in different 

 stages of development. 



Where accessory supra- renal capsules oc- 

 cur, they contain, according to Ecker, the 

 same vesicles ; of which the larger occupy the 

 outside, and the smaller the inside. But the 

 two kinds of substance are not present ; the 

 whole tissue answers to the cortical substance 

 of the real supra-renal capsules, and it has a 

 sometimes clearer, sometimes darker, yellowish 

 appearance. 



The structure just described obtains with 

 little modification in all the Mammalia. It 

 is true that, at present, only the Carnivora, 

 Ruminantia, Solipeda,and Pachydermata, have 

 been examined. Nevertheless, according to 

 these observations, it is tolerably allowable 

 to generalise concerning all the orders of 

 Mammalia. 



In the Ox, the brown cortical substance is 

 divided by strong bundles of areolar tissue 

 into lobules. The gland-vesicles exhibit no- 

 thing extraordinary, but, amongst the different 

 constituents of their contents, the fatty gra- 

 nules are much more sparingly present than 

 in man. Gerlach* found the glandular vesicles 

 very distinct in the Sheep. The structure of 

 the supra-renal capsules of the Goat and Pig 

 is identical with that seen in the Ox. 



In the Horse, the gland-vesicles of the 

 cortical substance altogether correspond with 

 those of the human subject. Here also the 

 smaller and more spherical lie on the ex- 

 terior, while the larger and more oval occupy 

 the interior, and offer the tubular disposition 

 already referred to. But their membrana 

 propria is more delicate than in man. In the 

 young Horse the fatty contents of the gland- 

 vesicles are in very small quantity ; while, on 

 the other hand, in older animals, it predo- 

 minates so considerably that it quite conceals 

 all the other contents, and renders their exa- 

 mination very difficult. 



But the medullary substance in the Horse 

 offers a remarkable distinction from that of 

 the other Mammalia : namely, that it, as well 

 as the cortical substance, contains gland- 

 vesicles. These have a variable shape and size; 

 and are round, oval, elongated, or sometimes 

 curved in the shape of a bow. The contents 

 are the same as usual, only it is much poorer 

 in fat than the cortical substance ; and, on 

 this account, appears much clearer. 



The supra-renal capsules of the Rodcntia 

 and Carnivora possess the greatest quantity 

 of fat, and are therefore the most difficult of 

 examination. 



Notwithstanding this, the white cortical 

 substance of the Rabbit exhibits the usual ar- 

 rangement : and, besides this, the medullary 

 mass not unfrequently presents small circum- 

 scribed collections of fat. 



Among the beasts of prey, the Dog and Cat 

 have been examined, and in these the nuclei 

 of the contents are with difficulty discover- 

 able, owing to the innumerable quantity of 

 the fatty molecules. The nuclei are here also 

 granular in the older, vesicular in the younger 



* Handbuch der Gewebelehre des Menschlichen 

 Korpers, Mainz, 1849, 2tn Lieferung. 



