664 
MR. J. 1ST. LANGLEY ON THE HISTOLOGY AND 
The following paper contains an account of observations upon Rana temjporaria, Bvfo 
vulgaris, Triton tceniatus, Triton cristatus, and Coluber natrix. In these animals I 
have examined the structure of the resting stomach and noted the alterations which 
occur in it during secretion. I have also estimated the relative amounts of pepsin 
contained by different portions of the stomach, and the amount of pepsin contained by 
a definite weight of the gastric mucous membrane in the resting and in the active 
state. I have further attempted to ascertain whether pepsin exists as such, or in a 
combined form, in the gland-cells. 
I do not propose to give a complete account of the structure of the resting stomach 
in each animal, although certain points in which my observations differ from or extend 
those of previous observers I may have to treat somewhat fully. 
I shall first describe the individual peculiarities which occur, and shall then discuss 
them with a view of drawing some general conclusions. 
RANA TEMPORARIA. 
Structure of (Esophageal and Gastric Glands. 
The oesophageal glands. —These glands have been described by Swiecicki,* * * § 
Nussbaum,! and Partsch.^ The glands are of the complex tubular type;§ amongst 
the proper secreting cells are mucous cells, these occur in smallest number in the final 
dilatations of the ducts. In the ducts ciliated cells are sometimes, though rarely, to 
be seen. The secretory cells are cylindrical or conical and are smaller than the gastric 
gland-cells. Nussbaum|| has shown that they contain in the fresh state conspicuous 
granules ; in a teased-out fresh preparation many of these granules are seen floating in 
the fluid : they are three to five times as large as the granules seen on teasing out 
similarly the gastric glands; they are even larger than the granules of the pancreas. 
The granules have the following reactions :—They dissolve readily in hydrochloric acid 
0’4 per cent., less readily in weak alkalies. Bile dissolves them almost instantaneously. 
Alcohol, varying in strength from 50 per cent, to absolute, dissolves them in part but not 
entirely; with each granule an undissolved residue is left. I conclude that the 
solution is real and not simply caused by the extraction of water, since a like effect is 
not produced by glycerine or saturated solution of sugar. On adding alcohol the 
granules sometimes run together before the partial solution takes place. Thus, in one 
* Swiecicki, Pfluger’s Arcliiv., Bel. xiii., s. 444, 1876. 
f Nussbaum, Max Schultze’s Arcli., Bel. xiii., 1877. 
X Paktsch, Max Schultze’s Arch., Bd. xiv., s. 179, 1877. 
§ I apply the term “simple tubular’’ to such glands as consist of one tube; when several tubes are 
given off by one duct, I call the glands “ compound ” tubular; when the tube or tubes arising from a duct 
divide, I call the gland a “ complex ” tubular gland. Klein describes the oesophageal glands as acinous 
glands (Stricker’s ‘Handbook,’ vol. i., p. 538). 
|| Op. cit., s. 748. 
