COMPOSITION AND PROPERTIES OF CHYLE AND LYMPH. 215 



cell. The smaller Chyle-corpuscles appear like the Lymph-corpuscles to 

 be iu the. condition of' nuclei (d, Fig. 92); in those a little larger, the 

 cell-wall is beginning to be differentiated from the nucleus; whilst in 

 those of greatest diameter the cellular character is very distinct, and the 

 nucleus may be plainly seen in the interior, especially after the addi- 

 tion of a little water or acetic acid. They occasionally exhibit curious 





At a, primary molecules of chyle; 6, secondary molecules of chyle; c, fatty globules; d, chyle- 

 corpuscles ; e, pale cells ; /, red corpuscles. 



changes of form ; in this respect corresponding with the colorless corpuscles 

 of the blood, which are probably the same bodies in a more advanced stage. 

 The Chyle drawn from the lacteals that intervene between the Mesenteric 

 glands and the Receptaculum, possess a pale reddish-yellow color; and, when 

 allowed to stand for a time, it undergoes a regular coagulation, separating 

 into clot and serum. The former is a consistent gelatinous mass, which, 

 when examined with the microscope, is found to include the Corpuscles, 

 each of them surrounded by a delicate film of oil ; the Fibrin of which it is 

 principally composed differs remarkably from that of the Blood in its in- 

 ferior tendency to putrefaction; whence it may be inferred that it has not 

 yet undergone its complete vitalizatiou. The serum contains the Albumen 

 and Salts in solution, and a proportion of the Corpuscles suspended in it. 

 It is curious, however, that considerable differences in the perfection of the 

 coagulation, and in its duration, should present themselves in different ex- 

 periments. Sometimes the chyle sets into a jelly-like mass, which, without 

 any separation into coagulum and serum, liquefies again at the end of half 

 an hour, and remains in this state. The Chyle from the Receptaculum and 

 Thoracic duct coagulates quickly, often almost instantaneously; and few 

 or none of the corpuscles remain in the serum. The fluid drawn from the 

 Thoracic duct, and from the Absorbent vessels which empty their contents 

 into it, is frequently observed to present a decided red tinge, which increases 

 on exposure to the air. This tinge appears to be due to the presence of Red 

 blood-corpuscles in an early stage of formation. 1 The ordinary corpuscles, 

 moreover, have a more distinctly cellular character than have those of the 

 chyle and lymph, and they are of larger size, their diameter usually rang- 

 ing from about zsWth to Wooth of an inch: in these particulars they cor- 

 respond with the colorless corpuscles of the Blood; as also in the change 

 they exhibit on the action of acetic acid, which brings into view two, three, 

 or four distinct central particles. The quantity of lymph which can be ob- 



1 See Gulliver, Med. Times and Gaz., vol. ii, 1863, p. 449. 



