THE HUMAN BODY, IN HEALTH AND DISEASE. 
27 
chyle;” whereas “it never contains pure chyle, but during diges- 
tion a fluid composed of both chyle and lymph, the former predo- 
minating ; and, digestion being completed, it is filled with lymph 
only.” This will shew us the necessity of obtaining from the 
lacteals, and from them only at such time as digestion is being 
accomplished : €t when the animal is fasting, they (the lacteals), like 
other lymphatics, contain merely lymph.” 
“ The lymph is a transparent colourless liquid, exhibiting a 
slightly alkaline reaction,” which, when left to itself, “ like the 
chyle, separates into a solid and a fluid portion :” the solid matter 
being fibrin, containing “ numerous granular and spherical cor- 
puscules, identical with the white globules of the blood ; the serum 
is transparent, and contains but few of the corpuscules.” 
“ The chyle is a whitish, opaque, oleaginous, and thick fluid, 
also manifesting an alkaline reaction ;” and containing, 1st, minute 
particles, described by Mr. Gulliver, constituting its “ molecular 
base,” and imparting to it colour and opacity. “ Mr. Gulliver has 
ascertained the interesting fact, that the milky appearance occa- 
sionally presented by the blood (of the horse as well as man) is 
due to the presence of these molecules.” — “ 2d. Granular corpus- 
cules, similar to those contained in the lymph, and identical with 
the white globules of the blood, but rather smaller.” — “ 3d. Oil glo- 
bules.” — “ 4th. Minute spherules, probably albuminous,” &c. 
These summary extracts will serve to shew the useful kind of 
information conveyed in “ Article I,” which is a short one ; little 
more, in fact, than an introduction to 
Art. II. The Blood, 
At once “ the most interesting and the most important of all the 
fluids in the animal economy.” 
“ Who, to look upon a dark and discoloured mass of blood, 
could imagine that the magic power of chemistry could reveal in 
it the existence of not less than forty distinct and essential sub- 
stances V* And yet “ the micrographer, with zeal unwearible, has 
even outstripped the progress of his rival, the chemist, and brought 
to light results of the greatest importance.” 
Mr. Hassall, in ascribing the formation of the buffy coat of the 
blood to the comparative tardiness of its coagulation, and stating 
that such is found to take place “ in disorders of an acute, active, 
or sthenic character,” accounts for the additional time occupied in 
its coagulation, “ by supposing that, in the affections named, the 
blood is endowed with a higher degree of vitality, and that there- 
fore a longer period? is required for its death to ensue ; or, in other 
words, if the expression may be allowed, that the blood in such 
