304 DIGESTION. 



analogous to lymphatic or absorbent glands, and that 

 their office is to take up certain materials from the chyle, 

 elaborate and subsequently discharge them into the lacteals, 

 with which vessels they appear to be closely connected, 

 although no direct communication has been proved to 

 exist between them. 



Moreover, it has been lately suggested that since the 

 molecular and cellular contents of the glands are so 

 abundantly traversed by minute blood-vessels, important 



Fig. 79-* 



changes may mutually take place between these contents 

 and the blood in the vessels, material being abstracted 

 from the latter, elaborated by the cells, and then restored 



* Fig. 79. Transverse section of injected Peyer's glands (from Kol- 

 liker). The drawing was taken from a preparation made by Frey : it 

 represents the fine capillary looped network spreading from the sur- 

 rounding blood-vessels into the interior of three of Peyer's capsules 

 from the intestine of the rabbit. 



