BLOOD AND LYMPH 



223 



the same proportion as in the blood. The amount of solids 

 varies in lymph from different organs. 



Lymph of 

 Limbs 

 Intestines . 

 Liver 



Proteins. 



2-3 per cent. 



4-6 

 6-8 



In the lymphatics coming from the alimentary canal during 

 starvation, the lymph has the characters above described. 

 But after a meal it has a milky appearance and is called chyle. 

 This milky appearance is due to the presence of fats in a 

 very fine state of division, forming what is called the molecular 

 basis of the chyle. 



Lymph in various diseases tends to accumulate as serous 

 effusions in the large lymph spaces e.g. the pleura, peri- 

 toneum, pericardium and these effusions behave differently 

 as regards coagulation. The following table helps to explain 

 this (S.A. is Serum Albumin, S.G-. Serum Globulin) : 



2. Formation of Lymph. Lymph is derived partly from the 

 blood and partly from the tissues. The formation of lymph 

 from the blood depends upon the permeability of the walls 

 of the capillaries and the pressure of blood in the blood 

 vessels. Thus, although the pressure in the blood vessels of 

 the limbs is much higher than the pressure in the vessels 

 of the liver, hardly any lymph is usually produced in the 

 former, while very large quantities are produced in the latter 

 apparently because of the small permeability of the limb 

 capillaries and the great permeability of the hepatic capil- 

 laries. The permeability may be increased by anything which 



