250 



MAMMARY GLANDS. 



the nerves and the axillary artery to enter the 

 angle of the jugular and subclavian veins. 



" If, therefore, the absorbent glands in the 

 axilla are obstructed by disease of the breast, 

 other absorbent vessels carry their fluid into the 

 absorbents from the arm, and when their glands 

 are obstructed other absorbent or lymphatic 

 vessels are found to pass behind the scapula 

 from the axilla to enter the cervical glands 

 above and behind the clavicle. 



" The absorbents of the sternal side of the 

 nipple principally take two courses. 



" The first accompany the vein and the 

 artery to the second intercostal space between 

 the second and third cartilages of the ribs, and 

 penetrating the intercostal muscles, they pass 

 to the anterior mediastinum, where they accom- 

 pany the internal mammary artery and vein, 

 and enter some absorbent glands. 



" A set of absorbent vessels from the sternal 

 side of the breast, placed lower down, enter 

 the intercostal muscles between the fourth and 

 filth cartilages of the ribs, and join the former 

 in the anterior mediastinum. 



" After entering the anterior mediastinum a 

 part of those which pass from the right breast 

 join some vessels from the convex surface of 

 the liver, and are continued into the angle of 

 the right jugular and subclavian veins, whilst 

 those absorbents of the left breast which enter 

 the anterior mediastinum pass to the angle of 

 the left jugular and subclavian veins. 



" The deep-seated absorbent vessels which 

 can be best injected from the ducts and milk cel- 

 lules whilst the breast is in a state of lactation, 

 arise from the mucous membrane of the lacti- 

 ferous tubes and milk-cells, and form a plexus 

 of great beauty in the interior of the gland. 



" These numerous absorbents, as seen in the 

 preparation, unite into two principal vessels, 

 which pass into the axilla, and there enter the 

 same absorbent glands as those which receive 

 the superficial absorbents. 



" Those on the sternal side of the nipple pass 

 into the anterior mediastinum, though some 

 of them turn round above the nipple and enter 

 the axillary glands. 



" The deep-seated absorbents, many of them, 

 join the superficial upon the convex or cuta- 

 neous surface of the breast, and after passing 

 through the glands in the axilla terminate with 

 them at the angle of the jugular and subclavian 

 veins. 



" But the absorbents of the concave or costal 

 surface of the breast take a different course. 

 They penetrate the intercostal muscles behind 

 the breast and enter absorbent vessels which 

 accompany the aortic intercostal arteries on the 

 axillary side of the breast, but on the sternal 

 side they join the internal mammary inter- 

 costals; the former pass into the thoracic duct 

 in the posterior mediastinum ; the latter enter 

 those vessels in the anterior mediastinum which 

 I have already described." 



The effect of age upon the mamma is to 

 absorb its glandular structure, to load the ducts 

 with mucus, to obliterate the milk cells, to 

 excessively ossify the arteries, and to thin and 



wrinkle the nipple, and at length in a great 

 degree to absorb it. But the deposition of fat 

 occupying the place of the glandular structure, 

 the general contour of the breasts in fat persons 

 is maintained. 



On the mammary glands in the male. The 

 credit of discovering the intimate structure of 

 this gland in the male is entirely due to Sir 

 Astley Cooper ; nothing, we believe, what- 

 ever having been known on the subject pre- 

 vious to his researches. Its size varies in 

 different individuals; it is largest in men of 

 light complexion and effeminate appearance. 

 " The largest male glands which I have seen," 

 says this author, " were found in a man whose 

 testes were remarkably small." 



In some persons it is no bigger than a large 

 pea, in others an inch and a half or even two 

 inches. There are papillae on the nipple and 

 in the areola of the male as in the female, only 

 they are more minute and much less vascular. 

 The cutaneous glands and tubercles are very 

 similar in both sexes. 



" The gland is constituted of two parts : 

 first, of very minute cells, and, secondly, of 

 small conical ducts which divide into nume- 

 rous branches in the glands, and terminate in 

 straight ducts which end in very minute orifices 

 at the nipple. In their form, in their divi- 

 sions, and in their course through the nipple, 

 they all form a miniature resemblance of the 

 gland and vessels of the mammary gland in 

 the female." (Fig. 76.) The whole is sup- 

 ported by a firm fascia, as in the female. 



Fig. 76. 



Five ducts of the male yland, injected tcith quick- 

 silver, exhibiting its ramifications and cells. The 

 ducts divide much in the same manner as those of the 

 female. 



Murat and Patissier, in the article Mamma,* 

 refer to a case related by Dr. Renault of an 

 individual whose mammae were equal in size to 

 those of the female and emitted a serous fluid 

 having the appearance of milk. The organs of 

 generation were diminutive, the testicles about 

 the size of a small nut, and his penis like a 

 mere tubercle, and, even in a state of erection, 

 only an inch and a half in length. Neverthe- 

 less he was given to venereal intercourse and 

 all the usual habits of men. 



This discovery of the glandular structure of 

 the male breast explains, most satisfactorily, 

 the cases which are on record of the sustenance 

 of the infant by the male parent after the death 

 of the female, the most authentic of which 

 is related by Humboldt in his travels.f 



* Diet, des Sciences Mcd. 

 t Vol. iii. p. 58. 



