270 



OF THE ABSORBENT VESSELS'. 



It is imagined that the vasa inferentia pour their contents into 

 these cells, and that the efferentia afterwards absorb it from 

 them. 



(C) Lieberkuhn's tube was of this shape : 



Water propelled into A, passed out at B and C, but not at F. 

 Even if F was immersed in a coloured fluid, this ascended to H, 

 and passed out at B with the water. 



(D) M. Majendie * contends that the lacteals absorb nothing 

 but chyle, asserting that neither he nor Halle have ever seen the 

 chyle in these vessels tinged by coloured ingesta, and that neither 

 he nor the veterinary surgeon Flandrin ever found any thing but 

 chyle enter the lacteals. Lister's experiment has succeeded with 

 Blumenbach, Hunter, and numerous others, and Mr. Hunter in 

 the presence of several persons poured milk into the intestines 

 of a dog, and they all observed it quickly to fill the lacteals. 

 M. Majendie must pardon an Englishman for inclining to the 

 positive result of Hunter's experiment, notwithstanding it failed 

 in his hands. Among other insignificant objections, he urges 

 that Mr. Hunter should have first noticed whether the ves- 

 sels contained chyle, whereas it is expressly mentioned that, 

 before the milk was poured into the intestine, the lacteals were 

 seen distended by a nearly colourless and pellucid fluid. f 



He also revives the old opinion that the lymphatics arise from 



* Prccit Eltmentairt, &c. T. ii. p. 178 sq. 

 t" Medical Commentaries. 



