122 ADRENALS, OR SUPRARENAL CAPSULES/ BY C. J. EBERTH. 



It is improbable that those cells are nervous, which in the Ox are 

 found in the region between the cortex and the medulla, and fre- 

 quently form clusters accompanying the nerves ; for they are 

 smaller than the true ganglionic cells, and though somewhat larger 

 and brighter than the cells of the cortex, they are angular, and pos- 

 sess no processes. They stain with carmine somewhat more quickly 

 than the cortical cells (Holm, Eberth), and do not, like those of the 

 medulla, become brown by the action of chromate of potash. Their 

 arrangement most closely resembles those elements of the cortex 

 which in thick bands accompany the larger vessels through the me- 

 dulla (Holm, Eberth). 



In the Batrachia and Lizards I have not been able to find 

 any nerves in the parenchyma of the organ. They are very 

 sparingly present in Tortoises. Large ganglia are found super- 

 ficially situated in Birds, but the organ itself is rather poor in 

 nerves and ganglion cells. Amongst Mammals the adrenals 

 of the Carnivora and Rabbit are sparingly provided with nerves, 

 whilst those of Man and of the Pig are characterized by a very 

 large supply, though they again are surpassed in this respect 

 by the Ox. 



As the statement advanced by Luschka and Ley dig, that the 

 medulla of the adrenals consists entirely or chiefly of ganglion 

 cells, has been shown to be incorrect, further evidence is 

 required to prove the accuracy of the observation of Leydig, 

 that in Selachia, the Ganoids, and Reptiles, " portions of the 

 adrenals adhere to the several ganglia of the sympathetic, or 

 are rather to be regarded as constituting integral portions of 

 that nerve." These segments of the sympathetic correspond to 

 the medullary mass, whilst in Fishes and Reptiles the cortex of 

 the organ appears to be composed of vessels. The so-called 

 axillary hearts in the Torpedo would represent such cortical 

 segments. Leydig is also inclined to regard the masses of cells 

 found in some Invertebrata, as in Paludina and Pontobdella, 

 next the ganglia, as equivalents of the adrenals. 



