446 ABSORPTION. 



the blood-vessels, there can be no doubt that a small portion 

 is also taken up by the lacteals. 



Absorption of Glucose and Salts ~by the Lacteals. What 

 has just been stated regarding the absorption of albuminoids 

 applies with equal force to saccharine matters and the in- 

 organic salts. Small quantities of sugar and sometimes lac- 

 tic acid have been detected in the chyle from the thoracic 

 duct in the herbivora ; * and the presence of sugar in both the 

 lymph and the chyle has been accurately determined by 

 Colin. 2 



It is true that the products of the digestion of saccha- 

 rine and amylaceous matters are taken up mainly by the 

 blood-vessels, but a small quantity is also absorbed by the lac- 

 teals. In the comparative analyses of the chyle and lymph 

 by Dr. Rees, the proportion of inorganic salts was found to 

 be considerably greater in the chyle. 3 The great excess in 

 the quantity of blood coming from the intestine and the 

 rapidity of its circulation, as compared with the chyle, will 

 explain the more rapid penetration by endosmosis of the 

 soluble products of digestion. 



Absorption of Water ~by the Lacteals. There can be no 

 doubt that a small portion of the liquids taken as drink 

 finds its way into the circulation by the lacteals, though the 

 greatest part passes directly into the blood-vessels. This has 

 been proven by experiments of a most positive character. 

 Leuret and Lassaigne state that when an animal is fed with 

 an aliment which is very substantial, and is killed during 

 digestion, the thoracic duct contains a very small quantity 

 of chyle ; but when the animal has taken liquids with the 

 food, the thoracic duct and the lacteals are very much dis- 



1 LONGET, Traite de Physiologic, Paris, 1861, tome i., p. 35Y. 



2 COLIN, De T Origine du Sucre contenu dans le Chyle. Journal de la Phy- 

 siologic, Paris, 1858, tome i., p. 539 et seq. 



3 Loc. cit. 



