ANATOMY OF THE LYMPHATIC SYSTEM, 



I. THE SEEOUS MEMBEANES. 1 



SECTION I. THE NORMAL CONDITIONS. 



SINCE the important discovery of injecting the lymphatic vessels of 

 the diaphragm from the peritoneal cavity by Eecklinghausen, and 

 since this author has shown that the serous cavities represent great 

 lymphatic sacs, the serous membranes have become a favourite object 

 of study. A long series of excellent researches has highly amplified 

 our knowledge of the normal and pathological histology of the serous 

 membranes in a relatively short time. The staining with solution of 

 nitrate of silver, first employed by Eecklinghausen, plays a great part 

 in this advance. 



As regards the normal conditions, the attention of histologists has 

 been chiefly if not wholly directed to three questions : 1 . The distri- 

 bution of the lymphatic vessels in the serous membranes ; 2. The 

 origin of the lymphatic capillaries from the lymph-canalicular system 



1 The results of the observations I intend to describe in this memoir have been partly 

 published by Dr. Burdon-Sanderson and myself, as a preliminary publication, in the 

 Centralblatt fiir medizin. Wissensch. 1872, January 2, 3, and 4. Since that time I 

 have made a series of observations, which in many respects complete those there de- 

 scribed, in such a way that the anatomy of the serous membrane, in so far as it refers to 

 the lymphatic system, may be regarded as complete. I shall have, many times, occasion 

 to restate what has been already put down in that preliminary publication, together with 

 observations of a later date. 



These researches were undertaken at the request of Dr. Burdon-Sanderson in connec- 

 tion with the Pathological Inquiries conducted by him for the Medical Department of the 

 Privy Council. They are published with the sanction and approval of the medical officer 

 of the Privy Council, Mr. Simon. 



