Contributions to the anatomy and pathology of the thymus gland / by A. Jacobi.

  • Jacobi, A. (Abraham), 1830-1919.
Date:
1888
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Contributions to the anatomy and pathology of the thymus gland / by A. Jacobi. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

    18/54
    these bodies (miliary tubercles) appeared denser and darker in color than normal. On microscopical examination, these bodies were found to be an eruption of miliary tubercles. These were composed entirely of small round or polygonal cells; at the centre of some of these collections or areas there were cheesy changes (coagulation-necrosis). In the periphery of these miliary tubercles the basement-substance showed fully well as a line reticulated tissue forming spaces in which the round cells were found in other cases empty (per drawing). The tissue between the miliary tubercles was composed of round cells closely packed, in no way differing from the normal lymphoid cells of the thymus. They were more numerous, however. The smaller bloodvessels in but very few instances could be found the seat of endarteritis. A careful examination found tubercle bacilli (as in drawing) in moderate numbers in the cheesy centres, and in the periphery of the miliary tubercles, and also present in the tissue between the miliary tubercles. Methods of Investigation.—The hardening fluids used were Muller’s fluid and alcohol, simple alcohol, corrosive sublimate, chromic acid (one-half per cent.). Those portions of the thymus which were hardened in corrosive sublimate at a temperature of about 48° C. (118° F.) for nearly fifteen minutes and then placed in alcohol, first dilute and then strong, became quite brittle, and though they cut fairly well, they stained very badly with hsematoxylin and eosin, or picro-carmine. The most satisfactory methods were alcohol or Mul- ler’s fluid. Paraffine and celloidin were used as embedding material, the latter in most cases. For tubercle bacilli, the methods recom- mended by Koch in his laboratory, and the modifications of the same by Ehrlich were made use of—methyl-violet, fuchsin, and Bismarck- brown being used either singly or conjointly; the sections being decolorized always in nitric acid, as recommended by Koch. In simple staining, the fluids used were hsematoxylin (Delafield) with eosin, carmine, picro-carmine, safranin, methyl-violet, fuchsin. Specimens were always studied in both glycerine and balsam. Conclusions.—In the cases of tuberculosis of the thymus here presented, tubercle tissue appeared in the following forms: 1. As miliary tubercles, composed entirely of small round or poly- gonal cells with a reticulated basement-substance in the recent state. 2. In the later stages, these miliary tubercles or granula may, at their centres, undergo cheesy metamorphosis (coagulation-necrosis). 3. Miliary granula are also found which show, in their centres, the presence of giant cells.