structure of the brain and nerves , &c. 41 
August 29th. in the same year. The spleen of a woman 
(who had taken little food for some time,) hardly more than 
one third the size of the other, contained no cells, and conse- 
quently no corpuscules ; was treated in the same manner, and 
the changes it underwent were the same. 
These different appearances are represented in Plates VI. 
VII. VIII. each having a separate explanation. 
The spleen, from this account, consists of blood vessels, 
between which there is no cellular membrane, and the inter- 
stices are filled with serum, and the colouring matter of the 
blood from the lateral orifices in the veins, when these vessels 
are in a distended state ; which serum is afterwards removed 
by the numberless absorbents belonging to the organ, and car* 
ried into the thoracic duct by a very large absorbent trunk. 
That all the apparent fibres are vascular, is proved by the 
representation in PI. III. fig. 1, in which they are minutely 
injected ; and the injection is carried into the cells, and 
moulded into their form. The lymph globules carry along 
with them into the interstices carbonic acid gas, and the 
mucus soluble in water, in great abundance ; but no blood 
globules, since none are found in the cells. As soon as the 
lymph is at rest, the carbonic acid gas being let loose, forms 
the cells that surround the lymph globules, the sides of 
which are held together by the mucus, putting on the ap- 
pearance of corpuscules without colour, and are thus mis- 
taken for glands ; the gas is absorbed by the blood in the 
arteries and veins. 
The spleen, from this mechanism, appears to be a reser- 
voir for the superabundant serum, lymph globules, soluble 
mdcccxxi. . G 
