78 VESSELS. AKTEKIES. VEINS. CAPILLARIES, ETC. 



some muscular fibres, and otherwise resemble those of 

 the veins (PL XVII. fig. IV. 3). 



The lymphatics, then, are seen to present the same 

 general plan of structure as arteries and veins, with 

 this single feature of difference, that they are richer 

 in muscular fibre. The lymphatic capillaries, like 

 those which carry blood, consist of tubes of amor- 

 phous substance, with oval nuclei set in their walls. 

 Their characteristic peculiarity consists in the filiform 

 prolongations which they give off at intervals along 

 their course, and at their terminal extremities (Kol- 

 liker). As for the true seat of origin of the lympha- 

 tics (that of the lacteals being already understood), 

 it is, according to M. Kiiss,* immediately beneath the 

 several epithelial membranes with the functions 

 of which those of the lymphatics seem to be closely 

 connected. 



^ *he system f lymphatic vessels are attached 

 the little gangliform organs known as lymphatic 

 glands. These glands possess a fibrous envelope, and 

 consist, internally, of a cortical and a medullary sub- 

 stance. The cortical substance, which in section pre- 

 sents a granular aspect, comprises the superficial por- 

 tion of the parenchyma of the gland. It is a sort of 

 extremely delicate cavernous body, whose trabeculse, 

 consisting of imperfectly developed connecting tissue, 

 serve to support the blood-vessels and lymphatic 

 trunks which enter it. Its cavities communicate in 

 every direction with each other, with those of the 



* Professor of Pathological Anatomy in the Faculty of Medicine of 

 Strasbourg, France. (Ed) 



