288 ABSORPTION. 



The quantity of molecules and oily particles gradually di- 

 minishes; cells, to which the name of chyle-corpuscles is given, 

 are developed in it; and by the formation of fibrin, it acquires 

 the property of coagulating spontaneously. The higher in the 

 thoracic duct the chyle advances, the more is it, in all these 

 respects, developed ; the greater is the number of chyle-cor- 

 puscles, and the large? and firmer is the clot which forms in it 

 when withdrawn and left at rest. Such a clot is like one of 

 blood, without the red corpuscles, having the chyle-corpuscles 

 entangled in it, and the fatty matter forming a white creamy 

 film on the surface of the serum. But the clot of chyle is softer 

 and moister than that of blood. Like blood, also, the chyle 

 often remains for a long time in its vessels without coagu- 

 lating, but coagulates rapidly on being removed from them 

 (Bouissou). The existence of fibrin, or of the materials which 

 by their union form it (p. 62 et seq.\ is, therefore, certain ; its 

 increase appears to be commensurate with that of the corpus- 

 cles ; and, like them, it is not absorbed as such from the chyme 

 (for no fibrin exists in the chyle in the villi), but is gradually 

 elaborated out of the albumen which chyle in its earliest con- 

 dition contains. 



The structure of the chyle-corpuscles was described when 

 speaking of the white corpuscles of the blood, with which they 

 are identical. 



From what has been said, is will appear that perfect chyle 

 and lymph are, in essential characters, nearly similar, and 

 scarcely differ, except in the preponderance of fatty matter in 

 the chyle. The comparative analysis of the two fluids obtained 

 from the lacteals and the lymphatics of a donkey is thus given 

 by Dr. Owen Rees : 



Chyle. Lymph. 



Water, . . . 90.237 96.536 



Albumen, . 



Fibrin. 



Animal extractive, 



Fatty matter, 



Salts, . 



3.516 1.200 



0.370 0.120 



1.565 1.559 



3 601 a trace. 



0.711 0.585 



100000 100.000 



The analyses of Nasse afford an estimate of the relative com- 

 positions of the lymph, chyle, and blood of the horse. 1 



1 The analysis of the blood differs rathtr widely from that given at 

 psige 72 ; but if it be erroneous, it is probable that corresponding errors 

 exist in the analysis of the lymph and chyle; and that therefore the 

 tables in the text may represent accurately enough the relation in. 

 which the three fluids stand to each other. 



