Lymphatics of the human pulmonary alveoli: preliminary report.

The subpleural 1)mphatics o f a normal human lung were injected wi th a dilute. greensolored latex solution after the long had been made edematous b) normal saline infusions. The tracheobronchial tree wa\ then filled with a white latex. foUowing which the preparation was submerged i n concentrated H C I to achieve corrosion o f the tissues hlicroscopic d i i t i o n of the model rcbealed that there were I>mphatic capi l lan nehvorks not onl? on the subpleural alreoli but also on al%eoli within the lobules. During the microdissection a cluster of inhalobular a h w l i was found i n which the capillar? ressels i n addition to being injected ~ i t h latex were a l w outlined b? deposition of carbon particles alongside their walls. This gave credence to the belief that the capillaries were, indeed. I jmphatic i n nature. The difference behteen the I~mpha t i c and blood capi l lan networks hare been described.