82 PROCEEDINGS OF SOCIETIES. 
lacteals possess the power of absorbing solid matter in the 
form of granules visible to the human eye. 
In the experiments made for the former purpose, a mouse 
having been put under the influence of chloroform about two 
hours after partaking of a full meal of bread and milk, the 
abdominal cavity was laid open by a median longitudinal 
incision, and the animal having been placed on its side upon 
a plate of glass, a coil of intestine was drawn out gently, 
sufficiently far to admit of the microscope being applied to 
the mesentery, which was kept moistened with water of about 
100° F. Under a ;4,-inch object-glass the lacteals were readily 
recognised as beautiful transparent beaded cords; the beads 
corresponding to the situations of the valves which were 
observed to be standing open while the chyle-corpuscles moved 
along through the tubes with a perfectly equable flow, at a 
rate of about a quarter of that at which the blood passes 
through the capillaries. There was nothing like rhythmical 
contraction to be observed in the vessels, and it was evident 
that the source of the movement of the fluid was some cause 
in constant and steady operation. Chyle-corpuscles, appa- 
rently fully formed, to judge from their size, were observed 
constantly passing along, even in parts very near to the intes- 
tine, the scene of absorption showing the rapidity with which 
those corpuscles are elaborated. These observations were 
repeated several times. 
The other set of experiments were conducted in the same 
manner, except that some insoluble coloured granular mate- 
rial, such as indigo, carmine, or flower of sulphur, was mixed 
with the bread and milk. The animals partook freely of the 
mixture, which also passed on into the intestines, yet none of 
the colouring particles were ever to be seen in the lacteals by 
aid of the microscope, although had they been present in the 
granular form in the chyle they would have been certainly 
detected, being quite different in appearance from the normal 
constituents of the fluid. It may be imagined that the colour- 
ing substances exercised a poisoning influence and paralysed 
the function of absorption. There was, however, no appear- 
ance of any such thing, the chyle presenting the same cha- 
racters both as to its constitution and rate of flow, as when 
simple bread and milk had been alone administered. 
These facts, though not perhaps absolutely conclusive, 
appear to throw great doubt upon the interpretation which 
has been given of alleged cases of absorption of indigo and 
some other granular substances, and render it probable that 
the lacteals are incapable of admitting visible solid particles 
through their parictes. 
