THE PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF MILK 59 



under abnormal conditions, especially during chronic diseases of 

 the udder. Their shape is conditioned largely by the fat, which 

 is milk-fat and not the result of fatty degeneration. These cells 

 are probably discharged from the milk glands before the secretion 

 is complete. Similar cells have been observed in the epithelial 

 layers. 



Epithelial cells that are attacked by phagocytes sometimes 

 contain spheric bodies composed of protein and fat. These have 

 been called albuminophores (Fig. 22). 





Fig. 22. Epithelial cells in various stages of degeneration (albuminophores), 

 magnified 1000 (Ernst). 



Cells derived from the circulation are leukocytes of all kinds 

 and red blood-corpuscles. The leukocytes may be mononuclear 

 basophil and eosinophil, polynuclear basophil, acidophil, or finally 

 cells with neutrophil and eosinophil granules. Lymphocytes never 

 contain fat. The red corpuscles appear small, round, or with 

 irregular outlines. 



All these cells are subject to rapid degeneration and then ap- 

 pear in many odd forms. The nucleus breaks up and the chro- 

 matin mixes with the protoplasm, which then takes stain with 

 intensity, leaving an unstained portion in place of the nucleus. 



