346 EPITHELIAL AND ENDOTHELIAL TISSUE. 



regular localities, in the thymus, and in the spleen. Probably 

 the thyroid body and the suprarenal capsule likewise belong to 

 this group. Single heaps of this ]ymph-tissue are termed lymph- 

 follicles ; compound formations of lymph-follicles bear the name 

 of lymph-ganglia. In the spleen of man the lymph-follicles 

 (Malpighian corpuscles) are elongated, and they are everywhere 

 in close relation with the arteries and arterioles. 



The lymph-follicles are, according to generally adopted views, 

 the widened beds of the lymph- vessels and brought into connec- 

 tion with the lymph either by being surrounded by lymph- 

 sinuses or by a dense reticulum of lymph-vessels, while the 

 interior of the lymph-follicle is destitute of lymph- vessels. Every 

 lymph-follicle, moreover, is encircled by a rich reticulum of 

 blood-vessels, which send a comparatively small number of capil- 

 lary loops into the interior of the follicle, these sometimes not 

 reaching its central portion. 



The lymph- ganglia are composed of more or less globular lympJi- 

 follicles, their prolongations, the follicular cords and the interfol- 

 licular strings, located between the two-named formations. The 

 follicles and follicular cords abound in lymph-corpuscles, having 

 a relatively delicate and scanty myxomatous reticulum, while in 

 the interfollicular strings the myxomatous tissue is largely de- 

 veloped, and the lymph-corpuscles are less numerous. Besides, 

 the interfollicular strings hold numerous blood-vessels, while the 

 follicular formations exhibit a comparatively limited vascular 

 supply. The interfollicular strings have also numerous lymph- 

 vessels, while the follicles have none whatever. (See Fig. 146.) 



The lymph-ganglion is inclosed by a dense fibrous connective- 

 tissue capsule, whose outer parts blend with the surrounding 

 loose connective tissue, which is supplied with a varying amount 

 of fat. In the capsule, and in the coarser offshoots, bundles of 

 smooth muscle-fibers are found, which in the lymph-ganglia of 

 cattle form a continuous layer (Von Recklinghausen). The 

 fibrous capsule sends prolongations into the depth of the follicle, 

 which soon changes into a myxomatous reticulum. In the inter- 

 follicular strings the myxomatous tissue is well developed, has 

 oblong nuclei on most of the intersecting points, and contains in 

 its meshes comparatively few lymph-corpuscles. 



The interfollicular strings ensheath the follicles, which, as a 

 rule, are formations consisting of a large globular or pear- 

 shaped mass of lymph-corpuscles, and are found at the periph- 

 ery, the so-called cortex of the ganglion. The globular follicles 



