AbstractsBiology & Animal Science

In recent years there has arisen a great clinical interest in the lungs. This is evidenced by the development of special thoracic branches of medicine and surgery and the publication of periodicals devoted solely to these fields of medical science. A natural result of the increased clinical importance of the lungs has been a focusing of attention on the anatomy of these organs, but, in spite of this, little attention has been given to the possible significance of their lobation. It is surprising that this should be so, as pleuritic fusion of the pulmonary lobes is not an uncommon occurrence. It would be of practical interest to know whether the existence of these lobes has any significance, and, if so, what effect their fusion has on the function of the lungs. [...]