12 LYMPHATICS IN THE STOMACH OF THE EMBRYO PIG. 



Information thus obtained from the injection of embryos did not necessarily 

 justify conclusions in regard to the lymphatic drainage in the fully developed and 

 adult stomach. Injections were therefore made of the stomachs of kittens, cats, 

 and adult pigs. In all specimens thus prepared lymphatic drainage was found 

 to be similar to that deduced from the study of the injected embryos. This 

 was clearly illustrated in the fresh stomach of a kitten 24 days old. Three 

 large glands were seen at the lesser curvature in the gastro-hepatic ligament, one 

 at the base of the splenic ligament, and one lying in the pyloro-duodenal flexure. 

 By injecting directly into the submucosa the paths of drainage were readily seen by 

 the spread of the injection mass through the lympathic plexuses of the stomach wall 

 and its appearance in the adjacent nodes. Injections were made at several sites: 

 (1) By injecting directly into the plexus of the submucosa, in the central region of 

 the anterior and posterior surfaces, the injection mass quickly appears in the nodes 

 of the lesser curvature; also, some of the vessels along the greater curvature are 

 filled by part of the injection flowing in that direction. Thus, the flow from the 

 anterior and posterior walls of the stomach was seen to pass in two principal 

 directions, toward the lesser and toward the greater curvatures, the major part 

 going to the former. (2) Injections near the pylorus and from some distance 

 along the adjacent greater curvature quickly flowed to the gland at the pyloro- 

 duodenal flexure, while, at the same time, an appreciable extent of the anterior and 

 posterior walls and the greater curvature was also filled. (3) When the plexus of 

 the submucosa near the attachment of the gastro-splenic ligament was filled, the 

 vessels passing from the greater curvature toward the spleen, as well as those from 

 the spleen to the large gland at the base of the splenic ligament, were injected. 

 Likewise, from this point of injection, flow occurred freely in all other directions, part 

 going toward the lesser curvature and part toward the pylorus. 



Jamieson and Dobson made a careful study of the lymphatic drainage in the 

 fully developed human stomach by means of the method of injection and found the 

 main groups of glands to be associated with the larger arteries of the stomach and 

 spleen. Along the course of the coronary artery they found a group of glands 

 forming a periesophageal ring with another group in the gastro-hepatic ligament. 

 Associated with the splenic artery, in the gastro-splenic ligament, was another group 

 of glands. Along the course of the hepatic artery and in the bend of the duodenum, 

 along the gastro-duodenal artery, still other groups were observed. By injecting 

 directly into the submucous plexus of the stomach wall at various points, the course 

 of the flow of lymph to these glands was studied. From the results so obtained these 

 observers were led to believe that any points of division between areas drained by 

 any definite gland or group of glands were quite arbitrary. They found the plexus 

 of the muscularis to be a very scanty one. The lymphatics of all plexuses of the 

 stomach- wall near the cardia were seen to be continuous with those of the esophagus, 

 whose wall contains lymphatics arranged similarly to those of the stomach. Definite 

 communications were also found between both subserous and submucous plexuses 

 of the pyloric portion of the stomach and the duodenum. These connections of the 



