RETENTION OF CHYLE. 369 



everywhere in a state of extremely minute division ; in 

 the regular course of events the particles are so ex- 

 tremely minute, that if the chyle is examined when fresh 

 and still warm, scarcely a trace of the solid particles 

 can be detected in it. But every disturbance which 

 occurs in the process of absorption, and impedes the 

 onward movement of the fatty particles, causes them to 

 run together ; larger granules separate in the tissues, 

 drops appear which continually increase in volume, until 

 at length they attain quite a large size. These are 

 found even in the epithelial cells or within the tissue of 

 the villi, and indeed it sometimes happens that the ends 

 of the lacteals grow wider, and swell out into a bulbous 

 form from the great accumulations of fat, so as to be 

 recognized even by the naked eye. Nowhere have they 

 been so frequently witnessed in a striking form, as in 

 cholera, and a good description of these appearances as 

 occurring in this disease was published as far back as 

 1837 by Bohn. They indicate nothing more than an 

 obstruction to the current of lymph in consequence of 

 the disturbances in the respiration and circulation (Fig. 

 109, Z)). Since attacks of cholera are well known to 

 occur with preponderating frequency during digestion 

 and are attended by greatly impeded respiration, which 

 makes itself felt throughout the whole venous system, 

 they must of course also react upon the stream of chyle. 

 Thus the enormous accumulation (retention) of fat in 

 the villi is explained. This is therefore, if you will, a 

 pathological condition, but it only depends upon a tran- 

 sitory obstruction, and we have every reason to suppose 

 that, when the current again becomes free, these large 

 drops of fat are gradually removed. But here we set 

 foot upon other domains, where the boundaries of patho- 

 logy can only be traced with great difficulty, and this is 

 particularly the case with the liver. 



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