_Fifth experiment._--M. Delille and myself made an incision into the abdominal parietes of a dog, who had been fed very heartily some hours before, so that the lacteals might be easily seen, and we then drew out a portion of the small intestine upon which we applied two ligatures three inches from each other. The lymphatics that went from this portion of intestine were full of chyle and very distinct. They were all tied and cut. The blood vessels were also tied and cut, with the exception of an artery and a vein; the portion of intestine also was cut off beyond the ligatures, and thus it had no communication with the rest of the animal except by the vein and artery which were left. These two vessels were dissected with the greatest care, and even stripped of their cellular coat, lest there might be some lymphatics concealed in it; we then injected into the cavity of this portion of intestine a decoction of nux vomica, and we retained it there by means of a new ligature. This portion of intestine, covered with fine linen, was restored to the abdomen; six minutes after, the effects of the poison were manifested with their usual intensity. _Sixth experiment._--M. Delille and myself separated the thigh of a dog from his body, leaving only the crural artery and vein, which kept up the communication between the two parts. These two vessels were dissected with care, insulated to an extent of from two to three inches, and even stripped of their cellular coat, for fear it might conceal some small lymphatic vessel. Two grains of a very active poison (the upas) were then inserted into the paw, and the effects were as sudden and as intense as if the thigh had not been separated from the body. As it might be objected, that notwithstanding all the precautions taken, the parietes of the artery or vein might still contain some lymphatic, we varied our experiment so as to leave no doubt on this point. The artery was cut entirely off, the communication was reestablished between the two ends, by means of a leaden tube introduced into their cavity, and fixed by proper ligatures. The same was done for the vein. Thus there was no longer any communication between the thigh and the rest of the body, except by the arterial blood which came to the thigh, and by the venous blood which returned to the trunk: the poison afterwards introduced into the paw produced its effects in the ordinary time, that is in about four minutes. From these different experiments, it is right to conclude that the minute branches of the veins possess the power of absorbing; that they exert it on the surface of the mucous and serous membranes, and in the interior of the organs; that the experiments that have been quoted in favour of the absorption of the lymphatics are inaccurate or incorrectly understood, and finally that there is no proof that these vessels absorb any thing but chyle.