PROPERTIES OF LYMPH. 



95 



tial tubes gradually coalesce, producing those that are of a larger diame- 

 ter, and these pass through glands, which might indeed be regarded as 

 mere plexuses, and eventually empty into the veins. 



A few minutes after if has been drawn, the lymph coagulates into a 

 colorless clot, and then exhibits contraction. Compared with p rop erties of 

 blood in like circumstances, the clot of lymph is small in re- iymp h - 

 lation to the serous portion. In other respects there is a general resem- 

 blance between lymph and blood free from its red cells, the fibrin and 

 the albumen being apparently the same in the two cases* The saline 

 constituents are not only the same, but bear the same ratio to one an- 

 other in the two fluids. Their absolute percentage amount differs, be- 

 cause the lymph contains a larger proportion of water than the blood. 



The lymph arising, as we shall find, by transudation from the capil- 

 laries, must obviously vary in different parts, those parts taking from 

 the blood the materials they require for their nutrition, and yielding to 

 it the products that have arisen during their waste. Whatever in this 

 manner changes the composition of the blood, must also occasion a change 

 in the transuded liquid. Thus Schmidt has shown that protein bodies 

 transude through the capillaries of the pleura most copiously ; through 

 those of the peritoneum not to half that amount ; through those of the 

 brain and those of the subcutaneous areolar tissue to a less and less ex- 

 tent. Not only must the material thus oozing from the capillaries vary in 

 different regions, because of variations in the mechanical constitution of 



ose vessels, but it must also change even in the same locality, through 

 temporary accidents, such as changes in the velocity with which the blood 

 is flowing. An attempt has been made to show that the transudation will 

 be richest in albumen as the blood current in the capillaries is slower. 



When the contents of the lymphatic vessels are submitted to analysis, 

 and compared with the chyle, a striking difference is appar- composition of 

 ent. The chyle contains, as has been already stated, large b rm P h - 

 but variable proportions of fat or oil in an extremely subdivided state, 

 from which the lymph is free. The leading solid constituent of the 

 lymph is albumen, and this indicates the use of the system. 



Composition of Lymph. 



The functional connection between the lacteals and lymph vessels is 

 very well illustrated by the following analysis, which ex- Fasting chyle 

 hibits the composition of chyle obtained from the thoracic 



