308 LYMPH. 



dropsical transudations ; that is to say, whether on the whole the 

 salts remain the same as in the blood, excepting that the chlorides 

 are rather more abundant than the phosphates, and that the salts 

 of soda preponderate over those of potash. We may conclude from 

 the analyses of the lymph made by Nasse and others, that the alka- 

 line sulphates are contained in this fluid in much larger quantity 

 than in the serum of the blood. The only process by which these 

 salts can be produced is the disintegration of the sulphurous tissues 

 with the co-operation of the oxygen escaping with the plasma from 

 the blood. 



Lastly, Nasse has found that there are far more earthy phos- 

 phates in the serum of the blood than in the lymph; this is, 

 however, only dependent on the circumstance that the albuminates 

 in which the earthy salts are contained, occur in a less proportion 

 in the latter fluid. 



From a comparison of these analyses of the blood and of the 

 lymph, it follows that the function of the lymphatics consists not 

 merely in conveying those parts of the tissues which have become 

 effete into the blood, from which, after undergoing further changes 

 they are separated by the organs of excretion, but also in elabo- 

 rating the still plastic portions of the blood into cells namely, the 

 blood-corpuscles; for how, if this were not the case, could cells 

 occur directly in the lymph, if it merely carried off the disintegrated 

 remains of the tissues ? for what purpose would its motion through 

 the lymphatic glands be suspended, or at all events considerably im- 

 peded, if the absorbents were not, like the lacteals, organs for the 

 elaboration and formation of the blood ? 



TRANSUDATIONS. 



While pathologists include under the term exudations all 

 kinds of fluid, semi-solid, or solid substances which, in con- 

 sequence of morbid action have been deposited in serous cavities, 

 or in the parenchyma of organs, and have there undergone many 

 metamorphoses, chiefly in a morphological point of view, we 

 regard it as most expedient, in so far as the interests of physiology 

 are concerned, to draw a distinction between the transudations 

 which consist of fluid constituents of the intercellular portion 

 of the blood escaping from the capillaries, and exudations in 



