Amoeboid cells in intestinal absorption, 21 



lacteals and there undergo Solution. And here arises the important 

 question, "Whence come these migrating cells? or from what are they 

 derived? and how is the place of those which are thus continually 

 passing into the lacteals supplied?" 



The origin of the lymphoid cells. 



There are thi^ee possible sources of derivation of the lymphoid 

 cells of the intestinal miicous membrane: 



I. They may be derived fi'om the division of preexisting similar cells. 

 II. They may be derived by emigration from the bloodvessels. 

 in. They may be the result of division of the columnar epithelium 



ceUs. 



1. Of these three suppositions the first one is on the face of it 

 the most probable, althongh it is not very easy to get direct 

 evidence of the division of the IjTuphoid ceUs in the mucous 

 membrane. Probably the nests of lymph-ceUs which are often 

 observed, especially between the epithelium- ceUs, are to be 

 looked upon as resulting from the multiplication of Single ceUs. 

 It is weU known that there has been considerable difficulty 

 in demonstrating the indirect division of the nuclei of lymph- 

 corpuscles (by karyomitosis) so that it is often assumed that 

 they may multiply by direct division. This, if reaUy the 

 case, would render it still more difficult to substantiate the 

 actual occurrence of their multiplication, which may safely be 

 assumed when karyomitoic flgui'es are observed. I believe 

 however that such figures are not altogether absent iu some 

 of these cells •) but whether this is so or not, there is I imagine 

 nttle reason to doubt that here as elsewhere the lymph-cor- 

 puscles may undergo division; and this Statement probably 

 holds good as weU for those that are scattered through the 

 tissue of the membrane as for those which are coUected into 

 lymphoid nodules. 



') In fact they have been shown by Flemming (loc. cit.) to occui" abimdantly 

 in the lymph-cells of lymphatic glands and of lymphoid nodules, and division of free 

 leucocytes by karyomitosis has been described by Peremeschko (Aich. f. mikr. Anat. 

 XVn, 1880) and by Lavdowsky (Virch. Arch. XCVI, 1884), 



