THE SUPRARENAL BODIES. 



225 



surround the medullary cords and, in conjunction with the capillaries of the 

 deeper part of the cortex, pass over into an unusually rich plexus of veins 

 terminating in the large central vessel, the beginning of the chief suprarenal 

 vein. Superficial veins claim as tributaries the peripheral portions of the 

 capillary network. 



The lymphatics are represented by a network within the zona glomer- 

 ulosa which communicates with the subcapsular plexus, on the one hand, 

 and, by means of centrally directed stems, with the rich medullary plexus on 

 the other. The larger trunks from the medullary network follow the veins 



Nerve-fibres 



.Cords of medullary 

 cells 



Wall of vein 



.ion of medulla of suprarenal body, from vicinity of central vein. X 280. 



fie. 275. Portio 



and emerge at the hilum of the organ as several efferents that pass to adja- 

 cent kimbar lymph-nodes. 



The nerves are remarkable for their abundance and derived principally 

 from the solar and renal sympathetic plexuses, fibres from the vagus being 

 included. They form a plexus within the capsule from which bundles of 

 chiefly nonmedullated fibres pierce the capsule, along with the arteries, and 

 give off fibres that pass between the cell-cords of the zona glomerulosa and 

 fasciculata to end in the walls of the blood-vessels and on the surface of the cell- 

 groups. Other branches penetrate to the zona reticularis to form a still closer 

 plexus, but it is for the medulla that the most striking abundance is provided. 

 Here the numerous nerves join into plexuses from which fibres pass to the 

 blood-vessels and cords of medullary cells. In contrast to their superficial 

 relation to the cortical cell-groups, within the medulla the fibrils penetrate 

 between the cells, so that almost each of the latter comes into direct relation 

 with a nerve-fibre. Numerous sympathetic ganglion-cells, isolated or in 

 small groups, are also present. 



Accessory Suprarenals. These are usually very small, rarely sur- 

 passing a pea in size. They may be found near the suprarenal body, in the 

 kidney, in the liver, in the solar and renal plexuses, or beside the testis or 

 the ovary. The accessory suprarenal situated in the broad ligament of the 

 15 



