STRUCTURE OF THE SPLEEN. LYMPHATICS. 359 



stantly traversed by blood corpuscles ; (2) upon the observation that 

 artificial injections of the spleen constantly fill the same spaces which 

 naturally contain blood corpuscles (W. Miiller) ; (3) on the observa- 

 tion that, after the injection of the very fine seeds of the lycopodium, 

 their presence in the pulp may be constantly demonstrated with the aid 

 of the tests exhibiting the reactions of starch (Tigri). In opposition 

 to this view is a second, which, originally advanced by Billroth, Grohe, 

 Sasse, and Gray, has recently been supported by Kolliker. Accord- 

 ing to this view, the spleen, like other organs of the body, possesses 

 a completely closed vascular system of ordinary structure, the veins 

 everywhere forming plexiform anastomoses between which the paren- 

 chyma, traversed by capillaries, is contained in the form of cords, 

 constituting the intervascular tissue cords of Billroth, or the bulbs of 

 Grobe and Sasse. I have already, in my work on the spleen, ex- 

 plained why I cannot adopt this view. Moreover, in a series of the 

 injected spleens of rabbits, and in the spleen of a monkey which was 

 placed at my disposal by C. Thiersch, and more recently in examinations 

 made upon the amyloid spleen of man, I have been unable to dis- 

 cover any facts favourable to the view maintained by Billroth and 

 Sasse. Kolliker adduces in its favour, besides the points already 

 mentioned, (1) that the current of blood would experience too 

 much obstruction were it to freely traverse the pulp ; (2) that the 

 fresh spleen constantly presents an acid reaction ; (3) that since the 

 appearance of my work, no one has expressed himself in favour of 

 the views therein contained ; (4) that this view would constitute a 

 novelty. The first objection is opposed by comparison of the blood 

 pressure in the arteria lienalis with the pressure of the lymph in the 

 vas afferens of any group of lymphatic glands. The second is easily 

 confuted by applying the best neutral litmus paper ; the third is over- 

 thrown by the work of Peremeschko, who is the only author that has 

 thoroughly entered into the consideration of the question. 



LYMPHATICS OF THE SPLEEN. It is highly probable that 

 the spleens of all vertebrate animals possess lymphatic vessels. 

 They are divided into a superficial and a deep set. The former 

 run in the capsule, and constitute a close plexus, from which 

 trunks arise that pass with the trabeculse into the interior of 

 the organ, in order to anastomose there with the deeper set 

 (Tomsa). The latter, as usual, accompany and form open net- 

 works between the arteries and their sheaths, and extend to 

 near their terminations. According to the observations of 



