LYMPHATIC OPJFICES. 



189 



recently satisfactory evidence of openings in the lymphatics on the sur- 

 fece of the serous membranes has been obtained. EecMinghansen 

 stretched the tendinous centre of the diaphragm, excised from a 

 rabbit, over a ring of cork, covered it with a film of milk, and then, 

 watching it with the microscope, saw the milk-globules at various 

 points drawn down as if in a vortex, and disappearing. He then 



Fi". 127. 



Fig. 127. — Smali, portion of Peritonkal Surface of Diaphragm of Rabbit (Xlein). 



IMAr.xiFIEP. 



I, Ij'mpli cliannel below the surface, lying between tendon bundles, t, t, and over which 

 the surface-cells are seen to be relatively smaller, and to e.\hibit five stomata, S, S', 

 leading into the lymi^hatic. The epithelioid cells of the lymphatic channel are not 



represented. 



found they had passed into the lymphatics of the peritoneal covering of 

 the diaphragm, by small openings, not more than twice the diameter of 

 a blood-corpusjle, over which the epithelioid layer of the peritoneum 

 was similarly perforated. Observations iu confirmation of these were 

 made in the Physiological Institute of Leipsic, under the direction 

 of Professor Ludwig, by Dybkowski, who found apertures (answer- 

 ing very nearly to those described by von Recklinghausen) on the 

 dog's pleura, by which the superficial lymphatics open on the surface 

 of the membrane ; he also found that fine particles of colouring 

 matter could, under certain conditions, be made to pass from the 

 cavity of the pleura into the lympliatics, and apparently by the open- 

 ings in question. Similar communications were found by Schweigger- 

 Seidel and Dogiel between the frog's peritoneum and the great lymph- 

 sac (cisterna magna) behind it. 



These apertures, or stomata, have been more recently investi- 

 gated by Klein,* who has further found them in the omentum of 

 mammals. They are surrounded by a ring of small granular 



* The Lymjihatic System, Pai-t I. : The Anatomy of Serous ilembranes. London, 1S73. 



