336 PHILOSOPHY OF ZOOLOGY. 
surface of which, numerous arteries terminated, and veins 
originated. The orifices of these last were open. While 
some of the lacteals terminated in these bags by numerous 
orifices ; others formed merely a plexus on their walls, and 
passed on with their contents to the thoracic duct. What 
becomes of the chyle after it enters the bag? To this 
question there is no satisfactory answer given, although it 
appears probable that it passes directly into the surround~ 
ing open mouths of the veins. 
Besides the lacteals, there is another class of absorbents, 
termed Lymphatics, whose contained fluid is a transparent 
lymph. The office of these vessels is to collect the super- 
fluous fluids from every part of the body, and to bring 
them back again to the general circulation, either to be re- 
novated, or thrown out of the system as useless. Hence it 
is that the lymphatics take their rise in the skin, in the 
mucous web immediately underneath the cuticle, in the in- 
teguments of all the viscera, or wherever there is a part 
subject to increase and diminution during life. The radi- 
cles of the lymphatics unite into trunks, which are furnish- 
ed with valves. They frequently anastomose, and enter 
conglobate glands. ‘They either empty their contents into 
the thoracic duct, or pass on to one of the subclavian veins, 
in which they terminate. 
Mr ABERNETHY, in the paper quoted above, has found 
reason to conclude, that some of the conglobate glands of 
the lymphatics of the horse are mere bags; while others ap- 
pear to have a cellular structure. These glands are libe- 
rally supplied with arteries and veins. The effects which 
they produce upon the lymph have not. been determined, 
although it is probable they are similar to those of the 
mesenteric glands. Mr Bracy Crarx has found the trunk 
of the lymphatic system of the horse to have several open~ 
ings into the lumbar veins. 
