1883.] Mr J. N. Langley, On the Secretory Cells. 25 



November 12, 1883. 

 Mr Glaishee, President, in the Chair. 



The following communications were made to the Society : 



(1) On the Structure of Secretory Cells and on the Changes 

 which take place in them during Secretion. By J. N. Langley, 

 M.A.,F.R.S. 



We have, from different observers, different descriptions of the 

 structure of each of the various kinds of gland-cells. Moreover, 

 very different accounts are given of the changes which take place 

 during secretion, not only in the various kinds of gland-cells, but 

 also in gland-cells of the same kind. 



And this is not unnaturally the case, since different observers 

 have examined the gland-cells under different conditions ; in some 

 instances the cells have been examined in the fresh state, in 

 others after treatment with osmic acid or with alcohol or with 

 chromic acid. 



But scarcely any attempt has been made to reconcile these 

 various accounts, or to ascertain what are the common points of 

 structure, and the common changes which take place during 

 secretion. 



This I wish to do here, but to do very briefly, since I trust 

 soon to give a more detailed account, accompanied by figures of 

 the different glands. For this reason also, I may perhaps be 

 allowed to confine myself to a statement of conclusions without 

 pointing out how far they coincide or clash with the conclusions of 

 previous observers. 



The glands of vertebrates in which I find that the secretory 

 cells have fundamentally the same structure are ; the serous and 

 mucous salivary glands and the similar glands of the mucous 

 membrane of the mouth, nose, pharynx, oesophagus, etc. ; a few 

 exceptions with the chief cells of mammalian gastric glands ; the 

 gastric glands of such birds, fishes, reptiles and amphibia as I 

 have examined ; the oesophageal glands of the frog ; the pancreas ; 

 the liver. 



It will be seen that this list includes most of the secretory 

 glands of vertebrates. The mammary glands and sweat glands of 

 mammals, I have not yet sufficiently investigated to be certain 

 whether they have the same structure as the preceding. The 

 intestinal glands and the kidney, I omit for the present, since they 

 have some special points of structure depending upon their special 

 function of absorption and excretion respectively. 



