134 [June 19, 



The following communications were read : 



I. " Dissections of the Ganglia and Nerves of the (Esophagus, 

 Stomach, and Lungs." By ROBERT LEE, M.D., F.R.S, 

 Received May 13, 1862. 



On the 17th of July 1861 I resolved to dissect the nerves of the 

 human stomach immersed in alcohol, as I had done those of the 

 uterus and heart, with magnifying powers of six and twelve diameters. 

 Having procured from Dr. William Dickinson at St. George's Hospital 

 a healthy stomach with three inches of the oesophagus, and having 

 thoroughly washed away the contents, and the blood from the vessels, 

 it was placed in a shallow vessel and covered with rectified spirit. 

 With the help of my dissecting lens, a pair of small straight forceps, 

 a pair of small curved forceps, and curved needle, I proceeded cau- 

 tiously to remove all the white condensed cellular membrane in 

 which the trunks and branches of the par vagum on the oesophagus 

 were imbedded, and the sheath of slender fibres of cellular mem- 

 brane closely investing all the nerves. Two glands situated near the 

 termination of the oesophagus in the stomach were likewise removed. 



The trunks and branches of the par vagum having thus been 

 completely laid bare, the whole oesophagus appeared covered with 

 ganglionic plexuses of nerves, and distinct ganglia formed on the 

 nerves were clearly seen. Some of these ganglia had the usual ap- 

 pearance of ganglia of the great sympathetic, with nerves entering 

 and nerves passing out from them, and these branches passing into 

 other ganglia. Some of the ganglia formed on the trunks of the 

 par vagum were long and thin, presenting the appearance which 

 Mr. Joseph Swan has called garigliform membranes. Near the cardia, 

 both trunks of the par vagum terminated abruptly in long solid 

 ganglia of a reddish colour and firm texture ; and from these numerous 

 small branches of nerves with ganglia were sent to the whole cardiac 

 extremity of the stomach without being accompanied with arteries; and 

 others were sent to the coronary artery, and accompanied this artery 

 with all its ramifications to the lining membrane of the stomach. 



On examining minutely the ganglia and nerves of the oesophagus, 

 numerous branches were seen passing down between the strong lon- 

 gitudinal muscular fibres of the oesophagus to the circular muscular 

 fibres of the middle coat, upon which plexuses of nerves with small 



