ABSORPTION. 43 



into the thoracic duct, and finally into the circulation at the junction of the 

 internal jugular and subclavian veins on the left side. 



Absorption of Lymph. Similar to the absorption of food from the 

 alimentary canal, is the absorption of lymph from the lymph spaces of the 

 organs and tissues. During the passage of the blood through the capillary 

 blood vessels, a portion of the liquor sanguinis or plasma or lymph, passes 

 through the capillary wall out into the lymph spaces. The tissue cells are 

 thus bathed with this new material ; from it those substances are selected 

 which are necessary for their growth, repair, and all purposes of nutrition. 

 An excess of nutritive material, far beyond the needs of the tissues, transudes 

 from the blood vessels, and it is this excess which is absorbed by the lym- 

 phatics, and returned to the blood by the thoracic duct. It is quite probable 

 also that a portion of this transudate is reabsorbed by the blood vessels. 



Properties and Composition of Lymph and Chyle. Lymph as 

 found in the lymphatic vessels of animals, is a clear, colorless or opalescent 

 fluid, having an alkaline reaction, a saline taste, and a specific gravity of 

 about 1.040. It holds in suspension a number of corpuscles, resembling in 

 their general appearance the white corpuscles of the blood. Their number 

 has been estimated at 8200 per cubic millimetre, though the number varies 

 in different portions of the lymphatic system. As the lymph flows through 

 the lymphatic gland, it receives a large addition of corpuscles. Lymph 

 corpuscles are granular in structure, and measure ^Wth f an i nc ^ i 

 diameter. When withdrawn from the vessels, lymph undergoes a spon- 

 taneous coagulation, similar to that of the blood, after which it separates in 

 serum and clot. 



COMPOSITION OF LYMPH. 



Water, 96.536 



Proteids (serum-albumin, fibrin-globulin), I -3 2 



Extractives (urea, sugar, cholesterine), I -559 



Fatty matters, a trace. 



Salts, 0.585 



100.000 



Chyle. Chyle is the fluid found in the lymphatic vessels, coming from 

 the small intestine after the digestion of a meal containing fat. In the 

 intervals of digestion, the fluid of these lymphatics is identical in all respects 

 with the lymph found in all other regions of the body. As soon as 

 the emulsified fat passes into the lymphatic vessels, and mingles with the 

 lymph, it becomes milky in color, and the vessels which previously were 

 invisible, become visible, and resemble white threads running between the 



