ANATOMY OF SEROUS MEMBRANES. 147 



rupture of the spleen, producing copious heemorrhage into 

 the abdominal cavity. The lymphatics of the diaphragm 

 were then perfectly injected with blood. 



We have also succeeded, as did Recklinghausen, in in- 

 jecting the plasmatic canal system. In animals affected with 

 somewhat advanced peritonitis, which had had aniline and 

 milk, Prussian blue, or aniline and oil injected into their 

 abdomen, the plasmatic canals were found more or less filled 

 with the substances injected, and these sometimes appeared 

 as if simply deposited upon the plasmatic canal-cells, at other 

 times had plainly made their way into the substance of these 

 cells. Whenever the centrum tendineum was affected in 

 such a way that the lymphatics of the fissures were blocked 

 up, as, for instance, by the products of inflammation or by 

 starch and oil some time after its introduction, the plasmatic 

 canal system on the abdominal side, and the tendinous tissue 

 were found very considerably injected. 



It is plain both from this fact and from the anatomical 

 details above mentioned, that absorption may take place not 

 only through the true stomata into the lymphatic vessels, but 

 also in a second way through pseudo-stomata and plasmatic 

 canals into^the lymphatic vessels. We shall return to this 

 point in speaking of the pathological conditions. 



{b) Pathological alterations. — In acute peritonitis, whether 

 produced by wounds of the intestine and escape of faecal 

 matter, or by injection of irritating substances (iodine, 

 ammonia, &c.) into the peritoneal cavity, the endothelium ot 

 the peritoneal surfaces shows alterations of the same kind 

 as described by Kundrat and Ranvicr in speaking of the 

 morbid alterations of the endothelium. It is not difficult to 

 discover, bearing in mind the normal conditions of the cen- 

 trum tendineum, that this is only the case in certain regions, 

 which are as follows : — the endothelium covering the lym- 

 phatics of the fissures ; that covering the network of lymph- 

 capillaries which surround the large vessels passing through 

 the diaphragm ; and that covering the sinuses connected 

 with the lymph- capillaries which unite vessels of the fissures. 



We have frequently observed that after the inflammation 

 has lasted a certain time, the endothelial cells over these 

 spots put forth buds which separate as young amoeboid cells. 

 Complete information respecting these changes may be gained 

 from the study of chronic inflammations, such as are pro- 

 duced by inserting pieces of gutta percha in the abdominal 

 cavity, by the presence of psorospermia in rabbits, by intro- 

 ducing starch and oil, &c., or in artificial tuberculosis. The 

 morbid alterations are seen first and most distinctly in the 



