GENERAL PHYSIOLOGY OF THE EPITHELIUMS. 197 



pose (Colin). 1 Of course, a still greater difference is observed 

 in the lymph which comes from the intestines, in proportion 

 as the animal is fasting, or in the midst of absorption of the 

 products of digestion. 



When the iymph does not contain much fat, it is a fluid 

 slightly opalescent, having a characteristic odor resembling 

 that of the spermatic fluid, and recalling the special odor of 

 the animal to which it belongs ; its reaction, like that of the 

 blood, is alkaline. 



The morphological elements which it contains, beside the 

 white globules and the globuHncs, similar to those of the 

 blood, are the red globules, whose presence in certain parts 

 of the lymphatic system can only be explained by transfor- 

 mation of the white lymph globules into red (see page 114) ; 

 indeed we find all the intermediate forms between these two 

 elements. Finally, we discover, by means of the microscope, 

 numerous particles of fat in suspension animated by the 

 molecular movement called the Brunonian or amoeboid move- 

 ment, and surrounded by a thin layer of albumen (haptogenous 

 membrane of Muller), which prevents these fatty particles 

 from fusing with each other and thus forming small drops. 



The composition of the fluid part of the lymph appears to 

 resemble closely that of the liquor of the blood. It contains 

 fibrine, but fibrine which does not readily coagulate of itself 

 (JBradyfibrine ; 1*0111, Virchow), and which is here, as in the 

 blood, the result of a more or less spontaneous separation of 

 Denis's plasmine (Denis of Commercy). (See page 129). 

 The clot, thus formed, is soft and diffluent : exposure to the 

 air for some time causes it to change its color from white to 

 pink or light red. After the separation of the fibrine a smaller 

 quantity of albumen remains in the lymphatic liquor than in 

 the blood (42 to 1000) ; but there is, no doubt, some albumen 

 concealed which is not coagulable by heat, especially some 

 forms of peptones, which we shall examine when on the sub- 

 ject of digestion; still, the quantity of albumen must be 

 always comparatively small, even in the chyliferous ducts ; 

 for, according to Cl. Bernard, these vessels absorb very few 

 albuminoids. We reserve the question, however, and shall 

 return to it in studying absorption and the theory of the 

 peptogens (of Schiff). In any case, the comparative lack of 

 albumen in the lymph in general appears to indicate that, in 



1 G. Colin, " Traite de Physiologic Comparee des Animaux." 

 2d edition. Paris, 18/2, Vol. II. , p. 142. 



