On the Malpighian bodies of the kidney: a study of their development, comparative anatomy, and pathology

Though originally intended to deal with Pathological changes only, the Thesis is chiefly a study of the Development of the Malpighian bodies of the Kidney. A knowledge of their minute Anatomy and Development was necessary to follow out certain changes that occur in disease, and on looking up the literature of the subject I was surprised to find that very little was known about their Development, that most of the work had been done by German observers, and that their results were very contradictory. I had the good fortune to secure a number of Human Foetal kidneys, and have examined them very carefully. The results are here stated, and a record of many of the different stages in Development are shown in Photomicrographs. This is as far as I am aware the first time that photographs of the subject have appeared, the usual diagramatic drawings which are given as illustrations being made to order to suit any theory. The Development of the Malpighian bodies included a number of other closely related structures which could not be omitted; the Development of the Malpighian bodies really constitutes the greater part in the History of the Development of the whole Kidney. In addition a Section has been added on Compariative Anatomy and Embryology in which the Malpighian bodies of the different orders of Vertebrates are compared, A few of the more interesting types are recorded among the Illustrations. The Section on Pathology had to be shortened and a quantity of experimental work omitted