Selected monographs.

Date:: 1888

Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Selected monographs. Source: Wellcome Collection.

46/440 (page 30)

It miglit be considered, therpfore, tliat these differences would suffice to indicate tlie diversity between tlie two fluids, and to suggest an origin, partly perhaps, but not altogether iden- tical. Moreover, that observations made upon the discbarge of fluid whicb takes place frora an opening in a lymphatic vessel do not justify tbe conclusion that the process is identical with a transudation, is demonstrated by the fact that the current from such a vessel entirely ceases after a certain time, whereas there is no ground for supposing that transudation has ceased, and. besides this, the stagnant current of lymph can be made to resume its movement, by active and passive movements, such as gentle rubbing, these manipulations pro- ducing no effect on transudation. There is, lastly, this fact, that even the total occclusion of all the lymphatics of a portion of the body is never followed by local oedema (34). If the current in a lymphatic trunk were in complete analogy with transudation from capillaries we should be jastified in expecting that occlusion of the former would cause the transudation to accumulate and that oedema would result. But all these facts prove that the lymph-current is altogether unessential for transudation, and observations upon it cannot therefore enable us to draw any positive conclusions with regard to the conditions under which the latter process takes place. The function of the lymphatics is that of auxiliaries to the veins. Fulness of the lymphatics indicates inadequacy on the part of the veins for the removal of transudation, but diminution in the current of lymph, so long as the flow through the veins is free, by no means indicates diminished transudation, for the power of absorption and of removing transuded fluids, possessed by the veins, can be increased far beyond the normal amount, as is evidenced by the non- appearance of oedema when the lymphatic current is arrested : the veins can, without aid from the lymphatics, fulfil their task, the removal of the transuded fluids, but the latter cannot thus dispense with the assistance of the former. It follows that the non-appearance of oedema under conditions of increased arterial pressure, the current through the veins being unimpeded, is no proof that the transudation is not increased. There is an increase in this respect, and also in