STRUCTUKE OF THE LOBULES OF THE LIVER. 5 



structure in the liver were controverted by E. H. Weber,* and espe- 

 cially by Kiernan.f Nevertheless it is still admissible to regard the 

 liver of Man as consisting, like that of the Pig, of lobules ; for it is only 

 on such a supposition that correct interpretations can be given of the 

 distribution of the ultimate branches of the portal vein, as well as of 

 the arrangement of the connective tissue. 



THE STRUCTURE OF THE LOBULES OF THE LIVER. The lobules 

 of the liver in Man are irregularly polyhedric and usually 

 elongated bodies about one millimeter in diameter and from 

 one to two millimeters in length. We may distinguish in them 

 a base, lateral surfaces, and an apex. Each lobule rests with its 

 base on the wall of the small hepatic vein (vena sublobularis), 

 from which it directly receives- its internal vein. Those lobuli 

 whose internal veins do not constitute lateral but terminal 

 branches of the hepatic vein, coalesce completely near their 

 bases and form a compound lobule (Theile). It frequently 

 occurs also that an intralobular vein divides witMn the lobule, 

 and that, whilst this possesses a common base, there are several 

 apices divided from each other by more or less deep fissures. 



When divided transversely, that is to say, in such a direc- 

 tion that the intralobular vein is struck at right angles to its 

 course, the individual lobules of the liver present a rounded 

 polygonal form; but when they are divided longitudinally, 

 or parallel to the direction of the intralobular vein, they are 

 generally elongated ; and those that are compound resemble a 

 leaf with sinuous edges, like that of the oak, or a portion of 

 such a leaf. Wherever an intralobular vein is divided exactly 

 at right angles, or longitudinally, it is separated from the 

 nearest interlobular vein by an interval of about 0'5 of a milli- 

 meter, which corresponds to one half of the diameter of the 

 lobule. The length of the capillaries extending between each 

 intra- and interlobular vein is of course about the same. The 

 only exception is in the case of the lobules situated immediately 

 beneath the surface of the liver, for these are truncated above, 



* Programmaia collecta, Fasc., ii., Lipsius, 1851 ; and Mtiller's Archiv 

 Jahrgang, 1843, p. 303. 



t The Anatomy and Physiology of the Liver, Philosoph. Transact., 1833. 



