PROPERTIES AND COMPOSITION OF LYMPH. 297 



When an opening existed, the discharge of fluid could be arrested at will by 

 flexing the trunk upon the thigh. Gubler and Quevenne made analyses of 

 two different specimens of the fluid, with the following results : 



COMPOSITION OF HUMAN LYMPH. 



First analysis. Second analysis. 



Water 939-87 934-77 



Fibrin 0-56 0-63 



Caseous matter (with earthy phosphates and traces of 

 iron) 42-75 42-80 



Fatty matter (in the second analysis, fusible at 102"3 

 Fahr., or 39 C) 3-82 9-20 



Hydro-alcoholic extract (containing sugar, and leaving, 

 after incineration, sodium chloride, with sodium phos- 

 phate and sodium carbonate) 13-00 12-60 



1,000-00 1,000-00 



The above analyses show a much larger proportion of solid constituents 

 than was found by Lassaigne in the lymph of the cow. This excess is pretty 

 uniformly distributed throughout all the constituents, with the exception of 

 the fatty matters and fibrin ; the former existing largely in excess in the 

 human lymph, especially in the second analysis, while the latter is smaller 

 in quantity than in the lymph of the cow. It is evident, however, from a 

 comparison of the two analyses by Gubler and Quevenne, that the composi- 

 tion of the lymph, even when it is unmixed with chyle, is subject to great 

 variations. The caseous matter given by Gubler and Quevenne is probably 

 equivalent to the albuminous matter mentioned by other chemists. 



The distinctive characters of the different constituents of the lymph do 

 not demand extended consideration, inasmuch as most of them have already 

 been treated of in connection with the blood. In comparing, however, the 

 composition of the lymph with that of the blood, the great excess of solid 

 constituents in the latter fluid is at once apparent. 



In nearly all analyses the organic nitrogenized constituents have been 

 found to be very much less in the lymph than in the blood. This is gener- 

 ally most marked with regard to the fibrin-factors ; but as before stated, 

 the proportion of all these substances is quite variable. On account of this 

 deficiency, lymph is much inferior to the blood in coagulability, and the 

 coagulum, when it is formed, is soft and friable. There does not appear, 

 however, to be any actual difference between the coagulating constituents of 

 the lymph and of the blood. 



Fatty matters have generally been found to be more abundant in the 

 lymph than in the blood ; but their proportion is even more variable than 

 that of the albuminoid constituents. 



Very little remains to be said concerning the ordinary inorganic constitu- 

 ents of the lymph. The analyses of Dahnhardt have shown that nearly if 

 not all of the inorganic matters which have been demonstrated in the blood 

 are contained in the lymph ; and a small proportion of iron is given in the 

 analyses by Gubler and Quevenne. 



