20 E. A. Schäfer, 



lymph-corpuscles into the lacteals, it by no means follows that tliis 

 is the only alimentary substance that is thus carried by them. In- 

 deed it is, as we have already seen, highly probable that the trans- 

 ference of fat represeuts a part only of the röle they play in the 

 absorption of aliment. The Solution of their protoplasm in the chyle 

 must continually add proteid substances to that fluid and it may 

 well be that a certain amount of carbo-hydrate in some form or another 

 may be also taken from the epitheüum towards the lacteals and 

 similarly added to the Contents of those vessels ; and this is especially 

 probable because the migration and Solution of the lymph-corpuscles 

 here spoken of is, as akeady stated, not peculiar to the condition of 

 fat absorption: it occurs also when foods free from fat are being ab- 

 sorbed. Therefore although it is difflcult to bring any direct evidence 

 to bear upon the point, this fact alone renders it highly probable 

 that these amoeboid cells are actively concerned in promoting the ab- 

 sorption of alimentary substances of all Jcinds. It does not however 

 necessarily foUow from this proposition that the absorption, should 

 be effected by a process of direct transference without the transferred 

 products being submitted to any chemical alteration. Indeed we find 

 even with the fat particles which are thus transferred, that they 

 undergo in the process at all events a mechanical change, in being 

 broken up into finer particles. But with the other organic alimen- 

 tary principles viz: proteids and carbohydrates it may well be that 

 a process of assimilation occurs within the lymph-cell, unless these 

 substances have already been subjected to the action of such a process 

 within the epithelium- cells. When one considers the remarkable 

 rapidity with which even large quantities of peptones which have 

 been injected into the blood are in some manner packed away so as 

 to be no longer recognizable in that fluid, and also the changes which 

 are produced in the colourless corpuscles in this peptone-blood, one 

 is much tempted to speculate on the existence of a special afünity 

 between peptone and leucocytes, and to hint at the possible importance 

 that such affinity might possess in connection with intestinal absorption. 

 But altogether apart from such speculation there remains the fact 

 that during absorption large numbers of leucocytes, themselves con- 

 sisting in the main of proteid matter, are transferred bodily into the 



