

BIOLOGY 



The superior mesenteric glands receive afferents from the jejunum, ileum, cecum, 

 vermiform process, and the ascending and transverse parts of the colon; their 

 efferents pass to the preaortic glands. 



The inferior mesenteric glands (Fig. 617) consist of: (a) small glands on the 

 branches of the left colic and sigmoid arteries; (6) a group in the sigmoid mesocolon, 

 around the superior hemorrhoidal artery; and (c) a pararectal group in contact with 

 the muscular coat of the rectum. They drain the descending iliac and sigmoid 

 parts of the colon and the upper part of the rectum; their efferents pass to the 

 preaortic glands. 



The Lymphatic Vessels of the Abdominal and Pelvic Viscera. 



The lymphatic vessels of the abdominal and pelvic viscera consist of (1) those 

 of the subdiaphragmatic portion of the digestive tube and its associated glands, 

 the liver and pancreas; (2) those of the spleen and suprarenal glands; (3) those of 

 the urinary organs; (4) those of the reproductive organs. 



1. The lymphatic vessels of the subdiaphragmatic portion of the digestive tube 

 are situated partly in the mucous membrane and partly in the seromuscular coats, 

 but as the former system drains into the latter, the two may be considered as one. 



The Lymphatic Vessels of the Stomach (Figs. 613, 614) are continuous at the 

 cardiac orifice with those of the esophagus, and at the pylorus with those of the 

 duodenum. They mainly follow the bloodvessels, and may be arranged in four 

 sets. Those of the first set accompany the branches of the left gastric artery, 

 receiving tributaries from a large area on either surface of the stomach, and ter- 

 minate in the superior gastric glands. Those of the second set drain the fundus 

 and body of the stomach on the left of a line drawn vertically from the esophagus; 

 they accompany, more or less closely, the short gastric and left gastroepiploic 

 arteries, and end in the pancreaticolienal glands. The vessels of the third set drain 

 the right portion of the greater curvature as far as the pyloric portion, and end in 

 the inferior gastric glands, the efferents of which pass to the subpyloric group. 

 Those of the fourth set drain the pyloric portion and pass to the hepatic and 

 subpyloric glands, and to the superior gastric glands. 



The Lymphatic Vessels of the Duodenum consist of an anterior and a posterior 

 set, which open into a series of small pancreaticoduodenal glands on the anterior 

 and posterior aspects of the groove between the head of the pancreas and the duo- 

 denum. The efferents of these glands run in two directions, upward to the hepatic 

 glands and downward to the preaortic glands around the origin of the superior 

 mesenteric artery. 



The Lymphatic Vessels of the Jejunum and Ileum are termed lacteals, from the 

 milk-white fluid they contain during intestinal digestion. They run between the 

 layers of the mesentery and enter the mesenteric glands, the efferents of which 

 end in the preaortic glands. 



The Lymphatic Vessels of the Vermiform Process and Cecum (Figs. 615, 616) are 

 numerous, since in the wall of this process there is a large amount of adenoid tissue. 

 From the body and tail of the vermiform process eight to fifteen vessels ascend 

 between the layers of the mesenteriole, one or two being interrupted in the gland 

 which lies between the layers of this peritoneal fold. They unite to form three 

 or four vessels, which end partly in the lower and partly in the upper glands of the 

 ileocolic chain. The vessels from the root of the vermiform process and from the 

 cecum consist of an anterior and a posterior group. The anterior vessels pass in 

 front of the cecum, and end in the anterior ileocolic glands and in the upper and 

 lower glands of the ileocolic chain; the posterior vessels ascend over the back of the 

 cecum and terminate in the posterior ileocolic glands and in the lower glands of the 

 ileocolic chain. 



