358 ABSOKPTION. 



colourless, or of a pale yellow tint. It is devoid of smell, 

 is slightly alkaline, and has a saline taste. As seen with 

 the microscope in the small transparent vessels of the tail 

 of the tadpole, the lymph usually contains no corpuscles or 

 particles of any kind ; and it is probably only in the larger 

 trunks in which, by a process similar to that to be described 

 in the chyle, the lymph is more elaborated, that any cor- 

 ffy- 99* puscles are formed. These corpuscles are 

 similar to those in the chyle, but less nume- 

 rous. The fluid in which the corpuscles float 

 is commonly and in health albuminous, and 

 contains no fatty particles or molecular base ; 

 but it is liable to variations according to the 

 general state of the blood, and that of the 

 organ from which the lymph is derived. As 

 it advances towards the thoracic duct, and 

 passes through the lymphatic glands, it be- 

 comes, like chyle, spontaneously coagulable 

 from the formation of fibrin, and the number 

 of corpuscles is much increased. 



The fluid contained in the lacteals, or 

 lymphatic vessels of the intestine, is clear 

 and transparent during fasting, and differs 

 in no respect from ordinary lymph; but 

 during digestion, it becomes milkj', and is 

 termed chyle. 



Chyle is an opaque, whitish fluid, resem- 

 bling milk in appearance, and having a neu- 

 tral or slightly alkaline reaction. Its white- 

 ness and opacity are due to the presence 

 of innumerable particles of oily or fatty matter, of exceed- 

 ingly minute though nearly uniform size, measuring on the 

 average about -roihru of an inch (Gulliver). These con- 

 stitute what Mr. Gulliver appropriately terms the molecular 



* Fig. 99. A lymphatic gland from the axilla, with its afferent and 

 efferent vessels, injected with mercury (after Bendz). 



