700 SPECIAL HISTOLOGY. 



fluids, among which the blood- and lymph-corpuscles are by far the 

 most important, leaving the description of their other conditions to phy- 

 siology. 



221. The lympli and the chyle, like the blood, consist of & plasma, 

 which coagulates out of the vessels; and of morphological elements, in- 

 cluding elementary granules, nuclei, colorless cells, and red blood-corpus- 

 cles, which, however, are not found in all parts of this vascular system, 

 nor everywhere in equal quantity. The elementary granules are im- 

 measurably minute granules, which, as has been shown by H. Miiller, 

 consist of fat and a protein-envelop, and are contained in vast numbers 

 in milky chyle, whose color is owing to them alone, whilst, in the more 

 colorless lymph they are either wholly wanting, or are rare and scat- 

 tered. Free nuclei, 0*001 0*002 of a line in size, and of a more homo- 

 geneous aspect, becoming vesicular and granular on the addition of water, 



I have hitherto noticed only in the commence- 

 ments of the lacteals in the mesentery, and in 

 the vasa efferentia of the mesenteric glands, 

 though even there scantily, and never in the 

 thoracic duct ; whilst the colorless cells, which 

 are identical in the chyle and in the lymph 

 the chyle- or lymph-corpuscles of authors 

 are found almost everywhere in the lymphatic 

 vascular system in considerable quantity. 

 These are rounded, pale cells, 0-0025-0-0055 of a line in diameter, 

 which, when examined in their native fluid, appear homogeneous or 

 finely granular, and contain a usually indistinctly transparent, homo- 

 geneous, slightly glistening, round nucleus; but on the addition of 

 water, the nucleus and contents are rendered turbid by a granular de- 

 posit, a.nd on that of acetic acid, becomes transparent and pale, exhibit- 

 ing the strongly granulated contracted nuclei with extreme distinctness, 

 bursting at the same time, and allowing the contents to escape ; a change 

 that also frequently takes place, especially in the smaller cells, on the 

 addition of water, preceded by the appearance of clear albuminous drops. 

 Otherwise dilute solutions, when the lymph-cells are already spherical, 

 induce no very remarkable changes of form, whilst, in consequence of 

 the evaporation of the fluid, and by concentrated liquids, a considerable 

 contraction, and frequently also, a jagged outline, is caused in them 

 (Fig. 290 a). 



In size, quantity, and shape, the lymph-corpuscles present diversities, 

 according to situation. In the commencement of the lacteals, which 



FIG. 290. Elements of the chyle: a, lymph-corpuscles become stellate by the escape of 

 their contents ; b, free nuclei ; c, one such, surrounded by a few granules ; d, e, minute lymph- 

 cells, some with a distinct nucleus ; /, g, larger cells, one with a visible nucleus; h, one such, 

 after the addition of a little water ; i, with the addition of acetic acid. 



