CHYLE. 281 



CHYLE. 



THE chyle presents various physical properties which differ 

 with the condition of the animal (as for instance, whether it is 

 fasting or has been lately fed), the part of the chyliferous system 

 from whence it has been procured, and the nature of the food that 

 has been taken. It commonly forms a milky, opalescent, yellowish 

 white or pale reddish fluid with a faint animal odour, a somewhat 

 saline and mawkish taste, and a very faint alkaline reaction. Like the 

 blood, it coagulates in nine or ten minutes after its removal from the 

 chyliferous system ; the coagulum, which contracts in from two to 

 four hours, is much smaller than that of the blood, and is very soft, 

 friable, and sometimes merely gelatinous. When exposed to the air, 

 it generally assumes a somewhat light red colour, if it had previously 

 been yellow. This is especially observable in the chyle of horses. 

 The serurn of the chyle, although clearer than fresh chyle, still in 

 general retains some degree of turbidity ; when merely diluted with 

 water, it seldom becomes more turbid, but when boiled, it becomes 

 of a milky white colour, and commonly deposits a few minute clots. 

 Acetic acid often induces a turbidity (Nasse*) ; on evaporating the 

 fluid filtered from the albuminous coagulum, the surface appears 

 covered with a colourless transparent membrane (albuminate of 

 soda). The chyle-serum does not coagulate when treated with 

 ether, but is rendered clearer. A dirty yellowish white, cream-like 

 stratum is formed between the ether and the chyle-serum. 



According to Tiedemann and Gmelin, as well as according to 

 Nasse, the chyle is almost colourless and transparent in birds, 

 amphibia, and fishes; while, according to J. Miiller, Gurlt, Simon, 

 Nasse, and my own observations, it is of a deeper red colour in 

 horses than in any other animals which have hitherto been 

 examined with reference to this subject. Nasse found the chyle of 

 cats of a perfectly milky whiteness. During digestion the chyle 

 is in general extremely turbid ; at other seasons it forms a faintly 

 opalescent fluid, which only exhibits a reddish colour in the 

 thoracic duct. 



The chyle that has been collected during digestion is very rich 



in morphological elements, since it exhibits, as a highly plastic 



fluid, the most varied stages of cell-formation. Hence a great 



variety of molecules have been distinguished in it, and the pro- 



* Handworterbuch der Pliysiologie. Bd. 1, S. 235. 



