Download On some Structures found in the Connective Tissue between the

186
DR. HENEAGE GTBBES.
On some Structures found in the Connective
Tissue between the Renal Artery and Vein
in the Human Subject.
By
Hcneagc Glbbes, M.D.,
Lecturer on Physiology and on Normal and Morbid Histology, in the Medical
School of the Westminster Hospital.
With Plate XVI, figs. 4 and 5.
IN dissecting out the renal artery and vein in a human
subject I found some small bodies which I at first thought
were lymphatic glands. On hardening and making sections
of them, I found that they consisted of different structures.
Some of them were small lymphatic glands, differing in no
way from similar glands in other parts; the largest was about
the size of a pea, while others were much smaller.
One round body, about the size of a hemp-seed, turned out
to be a ganglion. It was nearly circular in shape, and had a
well-marked fibrous capsule, outside this were several nervetrunks consisting of medullated nerve-fibres ; the nerve-trunks
varied very much in size. Inside the capsule were a large
number of ganglion cells, each cell lying in a single capsule
formed of a nucleated endothelial membrane.
Amongst the ganglion cells were a number of nerve-bundles
consisting of medullated and non-medullated fibres. The whole
was well supplied with blood-vessels.
The next structure consisted of an oval body measuring a
little over a quarter of an inch in length by an eighth of an inch
in breadth. It had a fibrous capsule which varied very much in
STRUCTURES POUND IN THE CONNECTIVE TISSUE.
187
thickness in different parts of the circumference. This capsule
sent in fibrous trabeculse dividing the cortical portion into
alveoli.
But these trabeculse varied very much in their size and
arrangement, being in some places very much thicker than the
fibrous capsule itself, while in other places they were mere
threads of fibrous connective tissue. They also varied in their
distance from one another; in some places being close together,
in others wide apart.
In the alveoli were masses of round cells resembling large
lymph corpuscles. These masses varied very much in size.
In many of them were fibrous trabeculse, seen in transverse
section, passing through the substance of the mass.
From this description of the cortical portion it will be seen
that there is some resemblance to an ordinary lymphatic gland,
but in the medullary portion the resemblance ceases.
The fibrous trabeculse in the medullary portion, or that
portion of this structure which corresponds to the medullary
portion in an ordinary lymphatic gland, are very much thicker
than in the periphery, while the masses of cells have the same
irregular arrangement as in the periphery.
This will be seen from the drawing made with a low power
(PI. XIV, fig. 4).
Throughout all parts of this structure the cell masses are
separated from the fibrous trabeculse by a well-defined space
similar to the lymph space in a lymphatic gland, but no trace
of the reticulum occupying this space in the ordinary lymphatic gland can be seen. A few fibres pass across the space
from the trabeculse, but they are very few, and appear to be
merely isolated fibres of connective tissue.
Throughout the whole of the fibrouB trabeculse are a very
large number of blood-vessels, varying from an artery with a
well-defined muscular coat to large capillary vessels.
The great peculiarity of this structure consists in these
blood-vessels opening directly into the spaces between the cell
masses and fibrous trabeculse. (See PI. XIV, fig. 5.)
In all parts these spaces are seen to contain red blood-
188
DR. HBNBAGE GIBBES.
corpuscles, and blood seems to come from the vessels in the
trabeculse which open into these spaces, and to circulate through
them. It will be seen, then, that although in the arrangement
of the component parts of this structure there is a certain
resemblance to a lymphatic gland, there is this great difference
—in the one a current of lymph passes through the spaces
between the cell massss and trabeculse, while in the other there
is a current of blood.
Some of the spaces, especially in the periphery, are filled
with red blood-cells; amongst these are a number of much
larger cells, each containing a well-marked nucleus. This
nucleus is as large as that of the cells forming the cell masses,
but does not stain as deeply.
In the cell masses the cells are closely aggregated together,
and only their nuclei can be made out.
The large cells are much more.numerous in the spaces near
the periphery than in the centre.
In one part of the capsule I noticed a capillary vessel passing
through a space lined by endothelium. The capillary was
empty, but the space was filled with red blood-corpuscles.
The above structures were found in the body of an adult
male under 30, who died from the effects of an accident.
The next case I examined was that of a man aged 58, who
died from phthisis.
I found the same structures as in the previous case. The
ganglion, however, was much larger, and each ganglion cell
contained a large number of yellow pigment granules.
In this case I found three of the glands described before.
They varied in size, two being much smaller than the one
found in the first case, while the third was much larger, about
double the size. They were, however, identical in structure
with the one already described, and all the spaces between
the cell masses and trabeculse were filled with red bloodcorpuscles, and amongst them large nucleated cells.
In addition to these I found in this case an oblong body
measuring half an inch in length. In structure it exactly
resembled a suprarenal capsule.
STRUOTUBES FOUND IN THE CONNECTIVE TISSUE.
189
Many of the sections showed large nerve-trunks passing
through the parenchyma. I did not find a similar gland in
either of the other cases.
The third case was that of a male aged 19, who died of
phthisis.
In this I also found a small ganglion very similar to that of
the first case. The gland resembling a lymphatic was also
present, and showed a similar structure to that described in the
first case.
There was only one ordinary lymphatic gland in this case,
but it was much larger than any of the others.
In neither of these three cases was there any disease of the
kidneys.
From the above it will be seen that I have found this
peculiar gland, resembling a lymphatic gland somewhat, but
having blood circulating in it instead of lymph in three cases,
and these were consecutive; it would, therefore, seem to be a
permanent structure.
190
DE. HENBAGE GIBBES.
(
f
EXPLANATION OF PLATE XVI.
Illustrating Dr. Gibbes' papers " On Some Points in the Minute
Structure of the Pancreas/' and " On Some Structures
found between the Renal Artery and Vein."
i
I
\
JIG. 1.— x 52. Alveoli of the pancreas of the guinea-pig, a. Agglomerations of cells with large and distinct blood supply. b. Normal pancreatic
tissue, c. Coagulated effusion into iuteralveolar spaces.
(
FIG. 2.— x 680. Cells from agglomeration («, fig. 1) isolated.
FIG. 3,— X 120. Circle of mucous glands surrounding a large duct of
the pancreas of the guinea-pig, a. Normal pancreatic tissue, b. Fibrous
connective tissue surrounding duct. c. Chain of mucous glands, d. Columnar
epithelium lining duet.
Fia. 4.— x 56. Glandular body occurring between the renal artery and vein
in man. The drawing shows the general arrangement offibroustrabeculse, cell
masses, and the channels between them. a. Fibrous capsule continuous with
trabeculse throughout the gland, b. Masses of cells resembling lymph-corpuscles, c. Spaces between cell masses and trabeculse in which blood is
circulating.
FIG. 5.— x 520. Portion of the preceding more highly magnified, a.
Fibrous trabeculse. b. Cell masses, c. Space between these which contains blood, d. Blood capillary opening into the space between cell masses
and trabeculse.