282 CHYLE. 



ducts of different stages of development have received the name 

 of chyle-corpuscles. (J. Miiller,* Schultz,f R- Wagner^ Henle, 

 Nasse,|| Arnold, t Kolliker,** Herbst,tt H. Miiller.JJ) 



As a more detailed description of these molecules falls rather 

 within the province of histology than of chemistry, we refer our 

 readers to the works of the above-mentioned observers, limiting 

 ourselves here to a notice of the most important points in reference 

 to the microscopical investigation of the molecules of the chyle. In 

 the first place, chyle which has been taken from the minutest 

 lacteals during digestion, exhibits extremely minute granules, which 

 cover the field of view like a thin veil. These granules, which 

 have been especially examined by H. Miiller, and recognized to be 

 fat-granules surrounded by a protein-like capsule, remain unaltered 

 on the addition of water, but flow together and form the ordinary 

 fat-globules when the chyle is treated with acetic acid or dilute 

 caustic potash. A similar result is observed when the chyle is 

 suffered to dry and the residue is again dissolved in water. Most 

 observers agree in the opinion that no true fat-globules are 

 generally contained in the fresh chyle of animals, although they 

 have frequently been found in human chyle ; this may, however, 

 be owing to the circumstance that the chyle which is usually 

 taken from the body some time after death, may already be par- 

 tially decomposed, and may therefore be acted upon by putrefac- 

 tion, somewhat in the same manner as by the potash. 



In addition to these fine molecular granules, the chyle, more 

 especially at the origins of the vessels, contains also coarser 

 granules which are grouped into masses and appear to be held 

 together by means of a hyaline substance (H. Miiller), and distinct, 

 sharply-defined nuclei with nucleoli, which are in some cases 

 covered with individual granules (Kolliker). 



It has generally been assumed that there are special chyle- 

 corpuscles which are the distinguishing constituents of the chyle; 

 but these bodies do not actually differ from the lymph-corpuscles 



* Handb.d.Phys. Bd.l, S. 235 [or English Translation, 2nd Ed., vol. i.p.281.] 

 t System der Circulation. Stuttg. 1836, S. 45. 

 Beitr. z. vergl. Physiol. Bd. 2, S. 56. 

 Allg. Anat. S. 421 4.71. 

 || Handworterb. der Physiol. Bd. 1, S. 226. 

 1 Anatomie, S. 260. 



** Entwicklungsgeschichte der Cephalopoden . Zurich, 1844, S. 50, and 

 Zeitschr. f. rat. Med. Bd. 4, S. 142147. 



ft Lymphgefasssyst. u. seine Yerrichtungen. Gotting. 1844, S. 603. 

 $$ Zeitschr. f. rat. Med. Bd. 3, S. 239. 



