302 HAND-BOOK OF PHYSIOLOGY. 



these respects, developed; the greater is the number of chyle-corpuscles, 

 and the larger and firmer is the clot which forms in it when withdrawn 

 and left at rest. Such a clot is like one of blood without the red cor- 

 puscles, having the chyle corpuscles entangled in it, and the fatty matter 

 forming a white creamy film on the surface of the serum. But the clot 

 of chyle is softer and moister than that of blood. Like blood, also, the 

 chyle often remains for a long time in its vessels without coagulating, but 

 coagulates rapidly on being removed from them. The existence of the 

 materials which, by their union, form fibrin, is, therefore, certain; and 

 their increase appears to be commensurate with that of the corpuscles. 



The structure of the chyle-corpuscles was described when speaking of 

 the white corpuscles of the blood, with which they are identical. 



Chemical Composition of Lymph and Chyle. From what has 

 been said, it will appear that perfect chyle and lymph are, in essential 

 characters, nearly similar, and scarcely diifer, except in the preponder- 

 ance of fatty and proteid matter in the chyle. 



CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF LYMPH AND CHYLE. (Owen Eees.) 



i. ii. in. 



Lymph Chyle Mixed Lymph & 



(Donkey). (Donkey). Chyle (Human). 



Water .... 96*536 90-237 " 90-48 

 Solids 3-454 9 '763 9-52 



Solids 



Proteids, including Serum- 

 Albumin, Fibrin, and 

 Globulin 



Extractives, including in (i 

 and i) Sugar, Urea, Leu- 

 cin and Cholesterin 



Fatty matter 



1-320 3-886 7-08 



1.559 1-565 -108 



a trace 3 -601 -92 



Salts .... -585 -711 -44 



From the above analyses of lymph and chyle, it appears that they con- 

 tain essentially the same constituents that are found in the blood. Their 

 composition, indeed, differs from that of the blood in degree rather than 

 in kind. They do not, however, unless by accident, contain colored cor- 

 puscles. 



Quantity. The quantity which would pass into a cat's blood in 

 twenty-four hours has been estimated to be equal to about one-sixth of 

 the weight of the whole body. And, since the estimated weight of the 

 blood in cats is to the weight of their bodies as 1 -7, the quantity of lymph 

 daily traversing the thoracic duct would appear to be about equal to the 

 quantity of blood at any time contained in the animals. By another series 



