154 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 



sent a more or less oval form ; others again are more pyriform 

 When distended by injection, they all present convex, smooth, 

 and well-defined outlines. On account of the general shape 

 of the follicles, and the mode in which they are grouped to- 

 gether in the lobule, they resemble in appearance a bunch of 

 grapes, with which they have frequently been compared. 



The epithelial contents of the follicles are of course com- 

 pletely concealed in the injected portions of the gland ; but in 

 those lobules into which the injection has not passed, the 

 shape and general arrangement of the secreting epithelium 

 may be conveniently studied. It frequently happens that, in 

 examining sections of the gland, isolated follicles may be seen, 

 lying perhaps closely together, as if they had originally formed 

 parts of the some lobule, but still separated by slight intervals 

 from each other, having probably become detached from their 

 original connections in the act of making the section. In 

 these isolated follicles the secreting cells may be generally 

 very distinctly seen. They form a closely packed layer, lining 

 the inner surface of the membrane forming the wall of the 

 follicle. Their shape is spheroidal, so that they form a true 

 glandular epithelium. 



Professor Kolliker in his " Microscopic Anatomy/' describes 

 the pancreas as belonging to the compound racemose group of 

 glands, of which the salivary glands and the mucous glands of 

 the mouth may be taken as the type. In his description of 

 the last-named glands, he states that the grape-like appearance 

 of the ultimate follicles is owing to the fine ducts being coiled 

 upon themselves, presenting at intervals numerous simple or 

 compound dilatations or diverticula. He considers the glan- 

 dular vesicles to be nothing more than these dilatations. In 

 my examination of the injected pancreas, I have not succeeded 

 in sufficiently separating from each other the various follicles 

 making up a lobule, so as to state whether the view of Profes- 

 sor Kolliker can be applied to the pancreas. Whether we 

 hold, however, with the more generally accepted doctrine, that 

 these follicles are saccular dilatations at the extremity of the 

 duct, or with Professor Kolliker that they are produced by a 

 coiling of the duct upon itself, the important fact still remains, 

 that the membrane forming the wall of the follicles is connected 



