236 SPECIAL ANATOMY. 



sometimes from thyreoidcea, carotis, or arcus aorta. Veins open into : v. cava 

 sup., subclavia, thyreoid., mammaria interna. 

 Function (see Blood glands). 



The Urinary Organs, Organa uropoetica. 

 470. 1. The kidneys, renes, v^pot, are two dense glands (gl. 

 tubulosse) in the reg. lumbalis, close to the sides of the first to 

 third lumbar vertebra, outside the peritoneum, surrounded by 

 uniting tissue with abundance of fat; generally smooth on the 

 surface, sometimes (as in the foetus and several animals) grooved. 

 The right kidney lies rather lower than the left (on account of 

 the liver). Length: three and a half to four inches. Breadth: 

 two inches. Thickness: one inch. Weight: two to four ounces. 

 Colour : reddish brown. Figure : bean-shaped ; the fissure 

 [[Hilus] directed inwards towards the vertebral column. Posi- 

 tion: upright. 



a. The anterior surface looks rather outwards, is convex ; the 

 left covered by Colon descendens, above by the Spleen and cauda 

 pancreatis; the right by colon ascend., lobus dexter of the liver 

 and pars descend, duodeni. 



b. The posterior surface looks inwards, is less convex ; behind 

 covered by m. quadratus lumborum; separated by the diaphragm 

 from the three last ribs, by m. psoas from the vertebral column. 



The external, convex semi-elliptical border looks backwards ; 

 the internal border forwards, and is deeply notched (incisura s. 

 hilus renalis). This hilus is fifteen to eighteen lines in length; 

 behind we arrive at the pelvis of the kidney, before Vena renalis. 



The superior border looks inwards, and is surrounded by the 

 suprarenal capsules ; the inferior smaller border outwards, and it 

 projects down below the last rib. 



Structure of the kidneys. 1. Between the fatty uniting tissue (capsula 

 adiposa*) which surrounds the kidney and the Parenchyma we find a firmly 

 adherent fibrous tunic, prolonged over both surfaces (tunica propria s. albu- 

 ginea). 2. The tissue of the gland itself consists of a cortical and a medullary 

 substance. 



a. The cortical, vascular substance, substantia corticalis s. vasculosa, [secret- 

 ing portion,] a thin, soft, red, sometimes yellow layer on the surface of the 

 kidney, which forms columnar processes within the following substance, and 

 thus, septa between the Malpighian pyramids. In it we find numerous 

 fasciculi of very serpentine canaliculi, which terminate in a cul-de-sac, or, 

 more probably, in a convoluted form [loops], tubuli, uriniferi corticales, which 

 pass into the tubular substance. Farther, a number of round red granules, 

 glomerulii s. acini Malpighii; they are small convolutions of vessels which 

 lie between the windings of the above mentioned canaliculi, which are 

 smaller than they are, and give off v asa efferentia, from which the capillary 

 network about the uriniferous tubes and the commencements of the renal 

 veins passes forth. 



