196 ELEMENTS OF HISTOLOGY. [Chap. xxiv. 



Outside the submucosa is the muscularis externa. 

 This consists of a thicker inner circular and an outer 

 thinner longitudinal coat And outside this is the outer, 

 or limiting, fibrous coat of the esophagus. In man, 

 the outer muscular coat consists of non-striped muscu- 

 lar tissue, except at the beginning (about the uppei 

 third, or less) of the oasophagus, which is composed 

 of the striped variety ; but in many mammals almost 

 the whole of the external muscular coat, except the 

 part nearest the cardia, is made up of striped fibres. 



264. The large vessels pass into the submucosa, 

 whence their finer branches pass to the surface parts. 

 The superficial part, of the mucosa and the papillae 

 contain the capillary networks. The outer muscular 

 coat and the muscularis nmcosse have their own 

 vascular supply. 



There is a rich plexus of lymphatics in the mucosa, 

 and this leads to a plexus of larger vessels in the sub- 

 mucosa (Teichmann). The nerves form rich plexuses 

 in the outer fibrous coat ; these plexuses include 

 numerous ganglia. A second plexus of non-medullated 

 fibres lies between the longitudinal and circular mus- 

 cular coat ; a few ganglia are connected with this 

 plexus. In the submucosa are also plexuses of non- 

 medullated fibres. Now and then a small ganglion is 

 connected also with this plexus. 



265. II. The stomach. Beginning with the 

 cardia, the mucous membrane of the stomach is covered 

 with a single layer of beautiful thin columnar epithelial 

 cells, most of which are mucus-secreting goblet cells.' 

 On the surface of the mucous membrane of the stomach 

 open numerous fine ducts of glands, placed very closely 

 side by side. These extend, more or less vertically, as 

 minute tubes, into the depth of the mucous membrane. 

 In the pyloric end, where the mucous membrane 

 presents a pale aspect, the glands are called the pyloric 

 ijlands ; in the rest of the stomach, whose mucous 



