Volumetric Study of Hypophysis Cerebri. 417 



adolescence, whether neoplastic or non-neoplastic, etc. The final 

 justification for such a classification of the clinical pictures will 

 depend, at least in a large measure, upon very careful post- 

 mortem analysis of the hypophysis in large series of selected cases. 

 But before pathological material can be properly evaluated it is 

 necessary to establish something of a standard from normal cases, 

 and to determine the range of variability of apparently healthy 

 individuals. 



Aside from the gross weight and the length of the three diam- 

 eters, we have been unable to find on human material anything 

 better than rough qualitative statements and these are greatly 

 at variance with each other. This is particularly true of the rela- 

 tive number and arrangement of the three types of cells in pars 

 anterior and in the amount of colloid. We know of no accurate 

 volumetric data on the size of the various lobes in the hypophysis 

 of man. We have, therefore, set out to determine the relative and 

 absolute weight of the three principal parts of the main body of 

 the gland and of the large colloid masses, together with the rela- 

 tive number and arrangement of the three types of cells in pars 

 anterior of normal adult males between 20 and 60 years of age. 

 For this material we are greatly indebted to the department of 

 pathology, University of Minnesota. 



Having made sufficient determinations to establish a com- 

 paratively simple routine method applicable to material obtained 

 during regular autopsies, we are summarizing the method that 

 others may profit by our efforts. 



Method. 



After trying various fixing fluids, we found that none were 

 better than ordinary formalin, 15 to 30 per cent, in strength. If 

 detailed work on the cytoplasmic granules is contemplated, the 

 formalin may be neutralized with magnesium carbonate and 

 the tissue chromated after the preliminary formalin fixation. For 

 all general purposes, chromation is unnecessary. The advantage 

 of formalin is that it not only admits of a sharp differential stain- 

 ing of the cells but produces practically no change in the weight 

 of the hypophysis for several hours and but little modification 

 even after several days. It is therefore possible to get the weight 



