more accessible, so this ongoing search continues, accompanied by further study and research to make it more practical and beneficial for others.
Before discussing Cayce’s health readings concerning the lymphatic system, we will present in the next chapter some information on the basics of this system to help you, the reader, better understand and comprehend the workings of this valuable function in the human body.
CHAPTER TWO
Basics of the Lymphatic System: Lymph 101
We may become ill because of an outbreak of the “common cold,” with its accompanying runny nose, sore throat, and swollen neck nodes. Or a sinus infection hits us with its usual postnasal drip. A scratch or cut becomes infected, then reddens and swells. Upon awakening one morning, we might feel sluggish, barely able to get out of bed, and notice swelling of our hands or ankles. All of these symptoms are indications or disturbances arising from the functioning—or lack of proper functioning—of our lymphatic system. They offer us clues that this system is draining poorly or is moving sluggishly. Often upper respiratory infections (such as sinusitis or tonsillitis) or lower respiratory infections (such as pneumonia or bronchitis) are indicative of a lymph drainage problem. Poor circulation, signified by cold hands or feet or numbness and tingling, may also be the result of sluggish lymphatic drainage.
What constitutes the lymphatic system, and what is its function? We may all be familiar with the circulatory, nervous, digestive, reproductive, and excretory systems from our elementary and high school science classes. They are considered the five main divisions through which our body functions and operates and carries on its work. But where does the lymphatic system belong in our body’s complex array of working parts?
The lymphatic system is actually a specialized component of our circulatory system, which generally consists of veins, arteries, and capillaries through which blood is pumped by action of the heart. The lymph fluid, like blood, also moves throughout the body and serves as a unique transportation vehicle; it returns substances, such as proteins, fats, dead cells, and tissue fluids, to the general circulation. It’s an accessory route, collecting the fluid that flows from the spaces in between the cells (interstitial fluid) and eventually depositing it into the bloodstream. Unlike the blood, however, there is no muscular pumping organ like the heart to force the fluid through the body, yet by various means this fluid does move along steadily and slowly between the cells and throughout its vessels. As a rule of thumb, the lymphatic and capillary (blood) networks lie side by side, broadly parallel and in close proximity to each other, yet they remain separate and independent of the other.
One very important function of the lymphatic system is its ability to carry away from the tissue spaces proteins and large particulate matter, neither of which can be placed directly into the blood capillary. You might think, so what? What’s so fantastic about moving these substances from the fluid between the cells into the bloodstream? However, the removal of proteins from these spaces is an absolutely essential function, for without it we would die within close to twenty-four hours. Take note of this quote from Guyton’s Anatomy and Physiology:
The single most important function of the lymphatics is to return proteins to the circulation when they leak out of the blood capillaries. Some of the pores in the capillaries are so large that small amounts of proteins leak continuously, amounting each day to approximately one-half of the total protein in the circulation. If these proteins were not returned to the circulation, the person’s plasma colloid osmotic pressure [pressure that moves fluid into the capillary] would fall so low and he would lose so much blood volume into the interstitial spaces that he would die within twelve to twenty-four hours. Furthermore, no other means is available by which proteins can return to the circulation except by way of the lymphatics. p. 511
So if it were not for this ongoing removal of proteins, life could no longer continue. The exchange of fluids would be so abnormal that we would cease to exist. As stated in the quote, no other route exists in our bodies except the lymphatics to return these excess proteins to the circulatory system. Hence, no other function of the lymphatic system can even approach this highly important, life-sustaining role.
MAIN PARTS OF THE SYSTEM
Structurally, the lymphatic system is composed of lymph, lymphatic vessels, lymph nodes, Peyer’s patches, and lymphatic organs. (See Fig. 1.) Serving as a defense against infection, the lymphatic system plays an important role in the body’s immunologic response as well as helps to maintain a balance of fluids in the body. A network of lymph nodes clustered in groups and connected by lymphatic vessels make up part of this vast system, which resembles a tree with its main trunk located at the center of the body, its branches reaching out with smaller and smaller twigs, and its foliage covering most of the human body. Or it can be said to resemble an extensive subway system, with its many tubes and tunnels running throughout the body. (See Fig. 2.)
Looking more carefully at each component of the lymphatic system, mentioned above, we have the following descriptions:
Lymph is a clear, watery-appearing fluid, originating in the connective tissue spaces of the body. It is still a mystery, however, exactly how it is formed. The fluid is referred to as lymph once it enters the initial lymph capillaries and is carried through the lymphatic vessels (lymphatics) to lymph nodes, to ducts and trunks, then to the venous system, eventually reaching the heart. Interstitial fluid, the watery substance found in between the cells, is formed by components of blood plasma that have filtered through the blood capillary walls. Yet lymph and interstitial fluid are similar: the former is located within lymphatic vessels and lymphatic tissue, while the latter is found in between the cells.
Lymphatic vessels begin as closed-end structures called lymphatic capillaries. Just as smaller blood capillaries eventually form veins, lymphatic capillaries unite to form larger and larger tubes. In a similar fashion, but in reverse, a large tree trunk divides into smaller branches, then into even smaller twigs. As noted above, these vessels (also called lymphatics) route the lymph fluid on its way to the heart.
Figure 1
Principal components of the lymphatic system
Drawing by Evan Van Auken
At various intervals, like subway stations, the lymph fluid flows through lymph nodes, oval or bean-shaped structures located along the length of the lymphatic vessels. Scattered throughout the body and usually clustered in groups, they act as purification and filtering centers, breaking down and destroying harmful particles in the lymph so that they can be flushed out of the body and eliminated through the lungs, skin, kidneys, and intestines, the body’s main organs of elimination. We usually become aware of them when they become swollen and somewhat achy and painful. There can be from four hundred to seven hundred nodes in the human body, nearly half of them in the abdomen; the others are located in the neck region, armpits (axillae), groin, behind the knees (popliteal area), in the bend of the elbows, and in breast tissue. Flowing in one direction, lymph enters the nodes at one end and exits at another, in the process being cleansed of foreign and harmful substances. As it travels through the nodes, the flow of lymph is usually slowed, allowing time for this cleansing and filtering
