FEE-EXISTENCE OF SECRETED PRODUCTS. 195 



TABLE V. 

 Fluid of Hydrocele. (From Heller.) 



Water 919.20 



Albumen 58.00 



Free fat 1.60 



Soda soap, biliphaein, haemato-globulm, dissolved ) 



hsematin, and extractive \ 



Fixed salts 7.30 



1000.00 



TABLE VI. 

 Fluid of Hydrocele. (From Heller.) 



Water 906.36 



Albumen 60.00 



Fat containing cholesterine 0.23 



Extractive matters, biliphaein, soda soap 24.04 



Fixed salts, chiefly chloride of sodium 9.37 



1000.00 



TABLE VII. 

 Synovial Fluid. (From Frerichs.) 



Water 948.00 



Mucus and epithelium 5.00 



Fat 0.70 



Albumen and extractive 35.00 



Salts 9.00 



Loss 2.30 



1000.00 



I have introduced these tables not only for the purpose of exhibiting 

 the nature of the fluid yielded by membranes of the serous Products of ee- 

 group, but also for the sake of the important evidence they j^ n . P ^ x ~ 

 offer as regards the function of secretion itself. In the jn- blood, 

 fancy of physiology it was universally believed that the special function 

 of each gland arose from its peculiarity of construction ; that thus, by^he 

 liver, out of blood in which they did not pre-exist, cholesterine and its 

 allied bile compounds were made ; that thus, by the kidney, urea was 

 formed. Even in more recent times a modification of this doctrine has 

 prevailed, and to the cells of which glands are so largely composed, the 

 duty has been attributed of forming special products. In this way, we 

 still constantly speak of the bile-secreting cells of the liver; but the pre- 

 ceding tables indisputably show that these very compounds, cholester- 

 ine, biliphaein, urea, etc., may make their appearance in distant places, 

 oozing from surfaces wholly devoid of the supposed special mechanism. 

 In cases in which there occurs structural degeneration of the kidneys, 

 for instance, urea at once makes its appearance in unaccustomed places, 

 as though, when the readiest avenues through which it might have es- 

 caped have failed, it bursts forth or oozes out at the weakest point. 

 With such results, the idea of leakage or straining seems to be insepara- 



