558 



ANATOMY OF VERTEBKATES. 



the proper tissue, throughout the whole organ. This tissue con- 

 sists of the ( lienine ' or spleen-substance and of ' splenic corpus- 

 cles.' If a portion of the trabecular tissue be treated with acetic 



acid, muscular fibre-cells may be seen, 

 as at a f , with their nuclei b, intermixed 

 with the yellow elastic fibres c, fig. 

 431. The demonstration is easiest in 



432 



Trabecula f rom the spleen of a Pig: 

 magii. 350 diam. ccvm". 



Splenic or 'Malpigliian' corpuscles, on branches 

 of an arteriole : from the spleen of the Pig, 

 magn. 10 diam. ccvm". 



433 



the most delicate plates of the trabecular tissue, especially in 

 quadrupeds. The splenic corpuscles, fig. 432, c, c, are whitish 

 spherical bodies imbedded in the ( lienine ; ' most constant and 

 conspicuous in ruminant, equine, and some other quadrupeds ; 

 less conspicuous, or wanting, in adult human spleens, especially 

 after lethal disease. They are elliptical, averaging 

 one-sixth of a line in diameter, and are attached by 

 short peduncles to splenic arterioles a, b, the pedun- 

 cles being continuous with the sheaths accompany- 

 those vessels. Treated with a little dilute 

 alkali, the proper wall of the corpuscle, fig. 417, a, 

 E SsLTcei f n SLrc f is rendered more distinct, and the elastic fibres of 

 So r S?'ccviirr* tne same > h > ma y be seen > in connection with the 

 branch of the arteriole c, to which it is appended. 

 The corpuscular capsule is filled by a semi-fluid greyish mass, 

 including nucleated corpuscles, fig. 433. They have suggested 



