222 ELEMENTARY PHYSIOLOGY less. 



flattened and join on to the processes of neighbouring 

 cells. The meshes of this network are occupied by red 

 blood-corpuscles, by colourless corpuscles closely similar 

 to those of lymph, and by other kinds of cells peculiar to 

 the spleen. Some of the latter resemble a colourless 

 corpuscle of blood, in that they can perform amoeboid 

 movements, but they are larger and contain in their sub- 

 stance red corpuscles in various stages of disintegration. 



A section of the spleen shows a dark red spongy mass 

 dotted over with minute whitish spots. Each of these 

 last is a section of one of the spheroidal bodies called 

 corpuscles of the spleen, or Malpighian cor- 

 puscles, which are scattered through its substance. 

 These corpuscles consist of little masses of lymphoid 

 or adenoid tissue, very similar to that found in the 

 lymi)hatic glands (p. 90), which surround the smaller 

 branches of the arteries. They are crowded with leuco- 

 cytes, and hence they stand out as white specks against 

 the dark red pulp of the spleen. 



The smallest branches of the arteries which cany blood 

 into the spleen, open into the network of the spleen-pulp, 

 so that the blood flows into and through this network ; ib 

 is then gathered up again into the ends of tiny veins, 

 which similarly open into the spleen-pulp, and carry the 

 blood away into the splenic vein. 



We are still very much in the dark as to the functions 

 of the spleen ; they are without doubt of some import- 

 ance ; but on the other hand the spleen may be perman- 

 ently removed from the body without producing any 

 obvious derangement of its working. 



The elasticity of the splenic tissue allows the organ to 

 be readily distended with blood, and enables it to return 

 to its former size after distention. It ai)i)ears to change 

 its dimensions with the state of the abdominal viscera, 

 attaining its largest size about six hours after a full meal, 

 and falling to its minimum bulk six or seven hours later, 

 if no further supply of food be taken. 



