74: SECRETION. 



Journal of Physiology. In this case there was a well-formed 

 mammary gland on the external surface of the left thigh, 

 about four inches below the great trochanter. The mam- 

 mary glands upon the chest performed their function with 

 regularity, and were normal in all respects ; but the gland 

 upon the thigh secreted during lactation such a quantity of 

 milk, that the woman had nourished all her children, seven 

 in number, indifferently from the three glands. She had 

 nursed one of her children in this way for thirty- three 

 months. It is a remarkable fact, that the mother of this 

 woman had three mammary glands, one on the left side of 

 the chest and two on the right. This case is perfectly 

 authentic, and was reported on by MM. Chaussier and Ma- 

 gendie, a committee from the French Academy of Sci- 

 ences. 1 



In many works on physiology, instances of unusual lac- 

 tation are quoted ; but although the time and duration of the 

 process are modified, the character of the secretion is not 

 altered. A case is reported as occurring in this country, 

 in which lactation continued in a woman sixty-five years 

 of age. 2 



At birth, in both sexes, the mammary glands are nearly 

 as fully developed as at any time before puberty. They 

 make their appearance about the fourth month, in the form 

 of little elevations of the structure of the true skin, which 

 soon begin to send out processes destined to be developed 

 into the lobes of the glands. At birth the glands measure 

 hardly more than one-third of an inch in diameter. At this 

 time there are from twelve to fifteen lobes in each gland, 

 and every lobe is penetrated by a duct, with but few 



1 CHAUSSIER ET MAGENDIE, Rapport fait d V Academic des Sciences sur une 

 observation de M. le Dr. Robert, de Marseille, relative d une femme qui a allaite 

 plusieurs enfans avec une mamelk situee d la cuisse gauche. Journal de physiologic, 

 Paris, 1827, tome vii., p. 175. 



2 DCNGLISON, Human Physiology, Philadelphia, 1856, vol. ii., p. 518. The 

 reader is referred to the work of Dr. Dunglison for an account of a number of 

 very curious instances of unusual lactation. 



