CHYLE AND LYMPH. 351 



and the lymph is therefore a measure of the work in these. The close 

 relation between lymph formation and the work of organs has also been 

 shown for several of them, especially for the liver. STARLING has 

 shown that after the introduction of lymphagogues of the first series, 

 chiefly liver lymph is secreted, which he claims is a proof against HEIDEN- 

 HAIN'S view, and he explains the increased permeability of the vessel 

 wall by the fact that these bodies have an irritating, poisonous action. 

 On the contrary, ASHER explains this increased lymph flow by the state- 

 ment that the substance in question as well as those influences which 

 incite the activity of the liver produces an increased formation of lymph 

 in these organs. This view is supported by experiments upon the action 

 of lymphagogues on blood coagulation and liver activity (DELEZENNB 

 and others), for, according to GLEY, these bodies have at the same time 

 a lymphagogue action and an action upon the secretion of the glands. 

 We have no direct evidence of the action of the lymphagogues of the 

 first series upon the organs, but we know from KUSMINE'S work that 

 peptone, leech extract, and the extractives of the crab-muscles act directly 

 upon the liver-cells and bring about morphological changes. The con- 

 nection between organ activity and lymph formation has also been 

 shown upon muscles and glands by others besides the above-mentioned 

 investigators (HAMBURGER, BAINBRIDGE 1 ). 



The extent of organ work essentially influences the quantity and 

 properties of the lymph. Still from this we cannot draw any posi- 

 tive conclusions as to whether the lymph formation is brought about 

 by physico-chemical processes alone or whether in this process a specific, 

 not closely definable secretory force is at work at the same time. In 

 regard to this much-disputed question, attention must be calied in the 

 first place to the fact that the important works of HEIDENHAIN, HAM- 

 BURGER, LAZARUS-BARLOW, and others, as well as the investigations of 

 ASHER and GIES and of MENDEL and HOOKER 2 upon the lengthy post- 

 mortem lymph flow, have shown that the older filtration hypothesis is 

 untenable. 



That osmotic processes play an important role in the lymph formation 

 is generally admitted and that the work of the glands and tissue cells 

 must cause a difference in the osmotic pressure on both sides of the capillary 

 walls, has been shown by the researches of many investigators (KoRANYi, 

 STARLING, ROTH, ASHER and others). That this is so follows from 

 several circumstances, and especially from the fact that, in disassimila- 



1 In regard to the works cited, as well as the literature upon lymph formation, see 

 Ellinger, "Die Bildung der Lymphe," Ergebnisse der Physiol., I, Abt. 1, 1902, and 

 Asher, Biochem. Centralbl., 4. 



2 Amer. Journ. of Physiol., 7. See also footnote 1. 



