38 ' Experiments on Fluids, ^c. 



diac portion of the stomach, so as to arrive at the circula- 

 tion of blood without going through the thoracic ihict, the 

 only know II chamiel by which liquids can arrive there ; the 

 present c.\pi.rirnents are brought to confirm that oi)mion : 

 but in staling ihcm, I wish to correct an error 1 was led 

 into, in beheving that the spleen was the channel by which 

 thev are conveyed. 



At the time I made mv former communications, T was 

 conscious tliat the facts I had ascertained were only suffi- 

 cient to open a new field of inquiry; but as I might never 

 be able to make a further progress in an investigation be- 

 set with so many difficulties, 1 thought it right to put them 

 on record. Since that time I have lost Ho opportunity of 

 devising new experiments to elucidate this subject ; and the 

 circumstance of Mr. Brodie, the asMstant of my philosophi- 

 cal as well as professional labours, having tied the thoracic 

 duct -in some experiments which will come before the So- 

 ciety, susrgcsted to me the idea, that if the thoracic duct 

 was tiid, and proper experiments made, there could be 

 no difficidtv in ascertaining whether there was any oiher 

 channel between the stomach and the circulaiion of the 

 blood. 



With this view T instituted the following experiment, 

 which was made on the 29ih of September IBIO, by Mr. 

 Brodie, assisted by Mr. William Brande and Mr.Gatcombe. 

 I was unavoidably prevented from being present during the 

 time of the experiment. 



ExperimeTit 1. — A ligature was passed round the thoracic 

 duct of a rabbit, just before it enters at the junction be- 

 tween the left jugular anil subclavian veins : an ounce of 

 strong infusion of rhubarb was then injected into the sto- 

 mach. In three quarters of an hour some urine was voided, 

 in \Vhich rhubarb was distinctly detected bv the addition 

 of potash. An hour and a quarter after the injection of 

 the rhubarb the animal was killed : a drachm and a half of 

 nrine was found in the bladder highly tinged with r^iubatb, 

 and the usual, alteration of colour took place on the addifiy,n 

 of potash. The coats of the thoracic duct had given why 

 opposite the middle dorsal vertebra, and nearly an ounce of 

 chyle was found efTused into the cavity of the thorax, be- 

 side a considerable quantity in the cel'ular membrane of tlie 

 posterior mediastinum. Above the ruptured part the tho- 

 racic duct was entire, much distended with chyle; and on 

 tracing it upwards, the termination of the duct in the vein 

 was found to be complelelv secured bv the ligature. The 

 lacteal and lymphatic vessels had given way in several parts 



of 



