414 ORIGIN OF THE LYMPH-CORPUSCLES. 



the lymph is propelled onwards. Even passive movements act in the 

 same way. If solutions be injected under the fascia lata, they may be 

 propelled onwards to the thoracic duct by passive movements of the 

 limb (Ludwig, Schweigger-Seidel, and Genersich). 



(2.) The Origin of the Lymph-Corpuscles varies 1. A very con- 

 siderable number of the lymph-corpuscles are derived from the lymphatic 

 glands ; they are washed out of these glands into the vas efferens 

 by the lymph-stream, hence, the lymph always contains more cor- 

 puscles after it has passed through a lymph-gland. Small isolated 

 lymph-follicles permit corpuscles to pass through their limiting layer 

 into the lymph-stream. 2. A second source is those organs whose 

 basis consists of adenoid tissue, and in whose meshes numerous lymph- 

 corpuscles occur e.g., the mucous membrane of the entire intestinal 

 tract, red marrow of bone, the spleen. In these cases, the cells reach 

 the origin of the lymph-stream by their own amoeboid movements. 

 3. As lymph-corpuscles are returned to the blood-stream, where they 

 appear as colourless blood-corpuscles, so they again pass out of the 

 blood-capillaries into the tissues, partly owing to their amoeboid move- 

 ments (Cohnheim), and they are partly expelled by the blood-pressure 

 (Hering). In rare cases, lymph-corpuscles wander from lymphatic 

 spaces back again into the blood-vessels (v. Recklinghausen). 



Fine particles of cinnabar or milk-globules introduced into the blood soon pass 

 into the lymphatics, and the vaso-motor nerves do not affect the process. The 

 extrusion of particles is greater during venous congestion, just as with diapedesis 

 (p. 189), than when the circulation is undisturbed; inflammatory affections of the 

 vascular wall also favour their passage. The vessels of the portal system are 

 especially pervious (Riitimeyer). 



(4.) By increase of the lymph-corpuscles by division, and also by 

 proliferation of the fixed connective-tissue coi'puscles (His). This process 

 certainly occurs during inflammation of many organs. This has been 

 proved for the excised cornea kept in a moist chamber (v. Keckling- 

 hausen, Hoffmann) ; the nuclei of the cornea-corpuscles proliferate also 

 (Strieker, Norris). That the connective-tissue corpuscles proliferate is 

 shown by the enormous production of lymph-corpuscles in acute in- 

 flammations (with the formation of pus) e.g., in extensive erysipelas, 

 and inflammatory purulent effusions into serous cavities, where the 

 number of corpuscles is too great to be explained, by the wandering 

 of blood-corpuscles out of the blood-vessels. 



Decay of Lymph-Corpuscles. The lymph-corpuscles disappear partly 

 where the lymphatics arise. The occurrence of the fibrin-factors in 

 the lymph formed as they are from the breaking-up of lymph- 

 corpuscles would seem to indicate this. In inflammation of con- 

 nective-tissue, in addition to the formation of numerous new lymph- 



