Observations respecting degeneration of the pancreas / by C. Handfield Jones ; communicated by H. Bence Jones.

  • Charles Handfield Jones
Date:
1855
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Observations respecting degeneration of the pancreas / by C. Handfield Jones ; communicated by H. Bence Jones. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    lutely no nuclei or cells, nothing but amorphous and oily matter. A gland thus degenerated is of a dirty yellowish coloui', soft, lax, and flabby, and often exhibits some whity spots upon its sm-face, which consist of groups of fat-cells. Similar groups are also present in the interior of the gland, but it is very clear that the wasting process is quite inde- pendent of their formation. In Case 30, these groups were numerous, although the glandular tissue in itself was sound. The atrophic state, described by Rokitansky as depending on excessive accumulation of fat, bears evidently the same rela- tion to the one above noticed, as the atrophy of the heart from fatty encroachment does to the true degeneration affecting its muscular fibre. An example of degeneration in an earlier stage is afforded by Case 19. The pancreas was of firm consistence, and yellow opaque colour. The glandular cavities were scarcely to be seen, except in a few spots, but tiie epithelial masses retained not unfrequently the shape of the vesicles in which they had been lodged. The epithelium consisted chiefly of nuclei, the cell-particles being wasted or stunted; it con- tained also much oHy matter, and appeared itself to be more abundant than usual. The limitary membrane was destroyed, in great part at least. The tissue was very opaque, little altered by acetic acid. Solution of carbonate ^f soda dissolved the epithelium (nuclei and granular matter), leaving only the oily molecules abundantly diffused through a translucent mass. I came to the conclusion that the morbid process consisted in a gradual deperissement of the limitary mem- brane, the epithelium accumulating and decaying into an oily mass. In some specimens, it has appeared to me that the number of nuclei was excessive in proportion to the amount of granular matter, whether this were contained in cells or free. This certainly appears to be an abnormal state, because It IS tolerably certain that the granular matter of glandular epithelium is the substance by means of which secretion is effected, whether the secerning act consist in an actual con- version of the granular matter into the product, or in a