THORACIC WHITE RAMUS COMMUNICANS IN MAN 79 
rami did not always run to the first thoracic sympathetic ganglion. 
They were not infrequently distributed to the inferior cervical 
(when separate), the second, and even the third, thoracic ganglion. 
As a rule the autopsy material had to be removed rather 
hurriedly, and for this reason it was thought advisable to supple- 
ment these findings with careful dissections of laboratory speci- 
mens. The first thoracic nerve and its associated rami com- 
municantes were dissected out on both sides of twelve cadavers. 
The number of rami vaiied from two to five and was frequently 
unequal on opposite sides. Examples of the various conditions 
found are shown in the accompanying photograph, figures 1 to 
4. The specimens illustrated were taken from opposite sides 
of four cadavers. Figure 1, 7, shows a section of the right sym- 
pathetic trunk with the inferior cervical and first thoracic ganglia 
appearing as distinct enlargements. ‘The internodal segment 
joining the ganglia, however, was short and thick, and probably 
contained ganglion cells throughout its length. The eighth 
cervical spinal nerve (C. 8.) is seen to be connected with 
the inferior cervical ganglion by two rami, medial to its 
junction with the first thoracic nerve (7.1.) to form the lower 
primary trunk of the brachial plexus. Three rami connect the 
thoracic nerve with the first thoracic sympathetic ganglion. 
Figure 1, /, from the left side of the same cadaver, shows a more 
complicated arrangement of the rami. Two run from the 
eighth cervical nerve to the inferior cervical ganglion, one joins 
the two nerve trunks, one runs from the first thoracic nerve to 
the inferior cervical ganglion, and a fifth runs from the first 
thoracic nerve to the first thoracic sympathetic ganglion. In 
the remaining specimens shown in the accompanying photo- 
graph the inferior cervical and first thoracic sympathetic ganglia 
are united to form more or less symmetrical enlargements of the 
sympathetic trunks. Each of these ganglionic masses is con- 
nected with its related first thoracic spinal nerve by short nerve 
strands which vary a great deal in size as well as in number. 
Naturally, the presence of two or more rami does not mean 
anything unless the nature of the fibers which they contain can 
be determined. Fresh material was stained in osmic acid, and 
