LYMPHATIC ABSORBENTS. 
605 
and here they conceived, according to the old ideas, that all the 
other absorptions which were carried on in the body were effected 
by the red or real veins. While, on the other hand, the next 
party, and which are the immediate followers of the Hunters, 
not only attempted to disprove that these vessels took their 
origin from the extreme branches of the arterial system, but 
that they were principally from surfaces, and were a separate 
and distinct system of vessels, the sole absorbents of the body. 
Having proceeded thus far, they, in the next place, attempted 
to deny that the real veins had any thing whatever to do with 
absorption, although it had been repeatedly proved by Magendie, 
as well as a variety of other physiologists, since that period, that 
the real veins actually do perform the function of absorption. 
But Magendie, as well as the followers of Mr. J. Hunter, have 
also, in my opinion, fallen into error,—1st, in doubting that the 
lymphatic vessels* are endowed with the faculty of absorbing; 
2d, in considering that the process of absorption is almost a me¬ 
chanical process; 3d, that the arteries possess the power of ab¬ 
sorbing as well as the veins. 
Mr. J. Hunter, who was the inquirer who theorized and claims 
the most as regards the functions of the absorbent vessels, in- 
forms us that “ the knowledge of the use of this system is but 
of late date, and the knowledge of its different modes of action is 
still later. Physiologists have laboured to account for its modes 
of action ; and the principle of capillary tubesf was, at first, the 
most general idea, because it was a familiar one. But this is too 
confined a principle for an animal machine, nor will it account 
for every kind of absorption. Capillary tubes can only attract 
fluids; but as these inquirers found that solids were often ab¬ 
sorbed, such as scirrhous tumours, coagulated blood, the earth of 
bones, &c. they were driven to the necessity of supposing a sol¬ 
vent. This may or may not be true : it is one of those hypotheses 
that can never be proved or disproved, and may for ever rest upon 
opinion. But my conception of this matter is, that nature leaves 
as little as possible to chance, and that the whole operation of 
absorption is performed by an action in the mouths of the ab¬ 
sorbents; but, even under the idea of capillary tubes, physiolo¬ 
gists were still obliged to have recourse to the action of these 
vessels to carry it along after it was absorbed, and might there- 
* Magendie is slill of opinion that the lacteal vessels are for the purpose 
of absorbing the chyle, but that this is the only office which they are capable 
of performing. 
t This is in accordance with the newly advanced theory of Magendie 
and Fodcra, but which I consider to be equally as erroneous as that of the 
action of the mouths of the absorbents by Mr. Iluntcr and others. 
