484 THE SOLIDS. 



into the splenic vein. The lacunae, whose usual diameter is 

 estimated by Dr. E. at from half to one third of a line, are 

 generally traversed by filaments of elastic tissue, imbedded in 

 which a small artery and vein may be frequently observed ; 

 over these filaments, the lining membrane is reflected in folds ; 

 and, in this manner, each lacuna is incompletely divided into 

 two or more smaller compartments. There is no direct com- 

 munication between the splenic artery and the interior of the 

 lacunas ; but its branches are distributed through the inter- 

 cellular parenchyma (which will be presently described) : and 

 the small veins which collect the blood from the capillaries of 

 the organ, cqnvey it into these cavities, from which it is 

 conveyed away by the splenic vein. The lacunae may be 

 readily injected from the splenic vein with either air or liquid, 

 provided they are not filled with coagulated blood ; and they 

 are so distensible, that the organ may be made to dilate to 

 many times its original size with very little force. This is 

 especially the case in the spleen of the Herbivora ; for the 

 spleen of a sheep weighing four ounces, may be easily made 

 to contain thirty ounces of water. That of man, however, is 

 less capable of this kind of enlargement. According to Dr. 

 Evans, the lacunae of the spleen never contain any thing but 

 blood ; and he notices that a frequent condition of the human 

 spleen after death, which is sometimes described as a morbid 

 appearance, consists in the filling of the lacunae with firmly 

 coagulated blood, which gives a granular appearance to the 

 organ. 



" The partitions between the lacunae are formed, not only 

 by the membranes already mentioned, but by the peculiar 

 parenchyma of the spleen ; which constitutes a larger part of 

 the organ in man, than in the Herbivorous Mammalia. It 

 presents a half-fluid appearance to the eye ; but when an 

 attempt is made to tear it, considerable resistance is expe- 

 rienced, in consequence of its being intersected by what ap- 

 pear to be minute fibres. When a small portion of it is 

 pressed, a liquid is separated ; which is that commonly known 

 as the Liquor Lienis, or splenic blood ; which is usually de- 

 scribed (but erroneously, according to Dr. E.) as filling the 



