292 CIRCULATORY SYSTEM. 



more branches for each, both before and behind. The posterior 

 branches pass to the back of the hand and of the fore arm: 

 some of them, more especially those from about the thumb, run 

 up along the radial side of the fore arm to the bend of the arm ; 

 but by far the greater part of them incline very gradually in a 

 semi-spiral manner towards the ulna, and then to the front of 

 the fore arm. " 



Such of the superficial vessels as come from the front of the 

 fingers and hand, continue to ascend straight up the fore arm 

 to its bend. These vessels of the fore arm are so numerous 

 that for every few lines there is an ascending trunk on its cir- 

 cumference: some of them coalesce, others form plexuses, and 

 their number is much reduced at the elbow. 



From the elbow the superficial lymphatics ascend to the ax- 

 illa in fifteen or twenty parallel trunks, along the internal mar- 

 gin and the front surface of the biceps flexor cubiti. The outer 

 side of the arm has comparatively but few absorbent trunks 

 upon it, but some follow the course of the cephalic vein, pene- 

 trate with it into the axilla, and then join the inferior lympha- 

 tics of the neck. 



The Deep Absorbents of the upper extremity attend the ar- 

 teries, and are at least two for each principal artery. They 

 anastomose with the superficial ones at intervals, and at last 

 terminate in the axillary glands. As they follow strictly the 

 course of the arteries, a farther specification is needless. 



The Superficial Absorbents of the contiguous portions of the 

 trunk of the body are not by any means so numerous as those 

 of the upper extremity; they consequently are more distant 

 from one another, ar/J they also go along in a more serpentine 

 manner. From the nape of the neck to the lower part of the 

 loins they all converge to the arm-pit. The absorbents which 

 are situated on the front of the pectoralis major muscle, and 

 those on the side of the body from the arm-pit to the hip, also 

 converge to the axilla. In regard to the two latter places, how- 

 ever, some of their absorbents, by penetrating the parietes of the 

 thorax or abdomen, respectively join the internal absorbent 

 trunks of these cavities. 



These several lymphatics from the upper extremity and from 



