644 ABSORPTION. 



and of the carnivora, than in that of the herbivora. Mr. Gulliver 1 has, 

 however, affirmed, that the colour is due to an immense multitude of 

 minute particles, which he regards as forming the matrix or molecular 

 base of the chyle. These are generally spherical and extremely small, 

 their diameter being estimated at from sgj^th to sittsijth of an inch* 

 They are of a fatty nature, and their number appears to be dependent 

 upon the amount of fatty matter in the food. Their fatty nature is 

 shown by their solubility in ether, and, when the ether evaporates, by 

 their forming drops of oil. As, however, they do not run together, it 

 has been suggested, that each molecule consists of oil coated with albu- 

 men, a view which is supported by the fact, that when water or dilute 

 acetic acid is added to chyle, many of the molecules are lost sight of, 

 and oil drops appear in their place; as if the envelopes of the mole- 

 cules had been dissolved, and their oily contents had run together. 2 



The chemical character of the chyle of animals has been examined 

 by Emmert, 3 Yauquelin, 4 Marcet, 5 Prout, 6 Simon, 7 and Nasse ; 8 and is 

 found to resemble greatly that of the blood. In a few minutes after 

 its removal from the thoracic duct it becomes solid ; and, after a time ? 

 separates, like the blood, into two parts ; a coagulum, and a liquid. 

 The coagulum is an opaque white substance ; of a slightly pink hue ; 

 insoluble in water ; but readily soluble in the alkalies, and alkaline car- 

 bonates. M. Vauquelin regards it as fibrin in an imperfect state, or as 

 intermediate between that principle and albumen ; but M. Brande 9 thinks 

 it more closely allied to the caseous matter of milk than to fibrin. The 

 analyses of Drs. Marcet and Prout agree, for the most part, with that 

 of M. Vauquelin. The existence of fibrin in it can scarcely be doubted. 



Like blood, again, chyle often remains for a long time in its vessels 

 without coagulating, but coagulates rapidly on being removed from 

 them. 10 



Dr. Prout has detailed the changes, which the chyle experiences in 

 its passage along the chyliferous apparatus. In each successive stage, 

 its resemblance to blood was found to be increased. Another point of 

 analogy with blood is the fact, observed by Mr. Bauer, n and subsequently 

 by MM. Prdvost and Dumas, 12 and others, that the chyle, when examined 

 by the microscope, contains globules ; differing from those of the blood 

 in their being of a smaller size, the average being ^g^oth of an inch, 

 and devoid of colouring matter. The nature and source of these glob- 

 ules, as well as of those of the lymph which resemble them in all respects, 

 is not determined. They have been supposed to be the nuclei or pri- 

 mordial cells from which all the tissues originate, 13 and to be the source 

 of the blood globule. 



1 Gerber's General Anatomy, by Gulliver, Appendix, p. 88, London, 1842. 



2 Kirkes and Paget, Manual of Physiology, Amer. edit., p. 207, Philad., 1849. 



3 Annales de Chimie, torn. Ixxx. p. 81. 



4 Ibid., Ixxx. 113; and Annals of Philosophy, ii. 220. 



5 Medico-Chirurg. Transactions, vol. vi. 618, London, 1815. 



6 Thomson's Annals of Philosophy, xiii. 121, and 263. 



7 Animal Chemistry, Sydenham Soc. edit., p. 354, London, 1845, or Amer. edit., Philad., 

 1846. 8 Wagner's Handworterbuch, u. s. w., i. 235, art. Chyle ; and Simon, op. cit. 



9 Phil. Transact, for 1812. ' Bouisson, Gazette Medicale de Paris, 1844. 



11 Sir E. Home, op. cit., Hi. 25. 12 Biblioth. Universelle de Geneve, p. 221, Juillet, 1821. 



13 Gulliver, in Gerber's Anatomy, p. 83, note. 



