MECHANISM OF LACRIMAL FLOW

1. The main, and presumably the sole, force that impels lacrimal flow from the conjunctival sac is, in normal circumstances, the pressure rise therein brought about by closing of the eyes. 2. Neither the lacrimal sac nor the canaliculi play any active part in this. With all probability, their expansions and contractions are secondary consequences of the pressure fluctuations in the conjunctival sac. 3. The structure of the wall and the surrounding connective-tissue sheath make it possible for the lacrimal canaliculi to accommodate without functionally important changes in form or lumen, to the structural alterations in the eyelids during blinking. © 1969 S. Karger AG, Basel.