Page:Letters on the Human Body (John Clowes).djvu/131

Rh celebrated anatomists on those interesting subjects, you cannot fail to have discovered, that when food is let down through the œsophagus into the stomach, it is there for a time kept in a state of convolution, until it is opened and separated, that is, digested by various menstrua; and in this state is partly received by what are called the lymphatic vessels, partly by the lacteal vessels, and partly let down into the intestines. This reception of the purer contents of the stomach by the lymphatic and lacteal vessels is what is called absorption, being effected by what are termed the absorbent vessels, whilst the separation of the more impure contents, by being let down into the intestines and by other processes, is what is called secretion and excretion. You must further have discovered, that the purer parts of the digested food, which are received by the lymphatic vessels, are called lymph, from their resembling in appearance a watery fluid; whilst the purer parts received by the lacteal vessels are called chyle, which in its aspect resembles milk, and is by some writers called white blood, to distinguish it from the red, into which it is finally converted. Lastly, you must have discovered, that the stomach is the organ, in which the separation commences of what is capable of remaining in the body for its health and nourishment, from what is incapable; that is to say,