282 ABSORPTION. [CHAP. xxvi. 



latter exhibits under the microscope myriads of true oil-globules 

 of different sizes. A few oil-globules are commonly found in the 

 chyle, but they are probably extraneous. 



Dr. Gr. O. Rees gives the following analysis of the contents of 

 the thoracic duct of a criminal, who had taken two ounces of 

 bread and four ounces of meat on the preceding evening, and two 

 cups of tea and a piece of toast an hour before he was executed, 

 and whose body was examined one hour and a quarter after death. 

 Nearly six drachms were obtained of a milky hue, with a slight 

 tinge of buff.* 



Water . . 90-48 



Albumen, with traces of fibrine . . . 7"08 



Aqueous extractive . . . . . O56 



Alcoholic extractive, or Osmazome . . 0*52 

 Alkaline chloride, carbonate, and sulphate, with ) 

 traces of alkaline phosphate, and oxide of iron ) 



Fatty matters ...... 0-92 



100-00 



The following is his analysis of the lymph and chyle of the 

 ass: f 



Lymph. Chyle. 



Water ..... 96-536 90-237 



Albumen .... 1-200 3-516 



Fibrine 0-120 0-370 



Extractive .... 1'559 1-565 



Fatty matter . . . .a trace 3-601 



Salts 0-585 0-711 



100-000 100-000 



These latter may probably be taken as fair samples of the con- 

 stitution of the lymph and chyle. Much variety, however, will 

 of course exist in specimens, derived from different animals, and 

 at different periods of digestion. The chief distinctions between 

 lymph and blood, are: 1st. The absence of the red particles in the 

 former ; and, 2nd. The smaller proportion of albumen and fibrine. 

 Chyle differs from blood in the same points, and, moreover, in its 

 large proportion of fat, which may rise, according to Nasse, as 

 high as 15 in 1000. Chyle differs from lymph in containing more 

 albumen, and much more fat. 



Quantity of Chyle and Lymph. That the chyle enters the blood 

 very rapidly along the lacteals during digestion, is obvious on 

 opening the body of an animal. It is easy to collect from the 



* Phil. Trans. 1842, p. 82. f Med. Gazette, Jan. 1841. 



