300 CIRCULATORY SYSTEM. 



Those near the middle front of the liver assemble into six or 

 more trunks, which ascend the suspensory ligament, and enter 

 the thorax between the diaphragm and the sternum. They 

 are joined by several trunks from the diaphragm, and continu- 

 ing to ascend up the anterior mediastinum between its laminae 

 behind the sternum, they are re-enforced by contributions from 

 the pericardium, from the thymus gland, and from the anterior 

 parietes of the thorax. The^division then crosses the upper end 

 of the descending cava, and those from the two sides assem- 

 bling, they go in one or more large trunks along the left vena 

 innominata, and finally empty into the left thoracic duct near 

 its termination. Sometimes they enter into the right thoracic 

 duct. It occasionally happens that a detachment of this divi- 

 sion, instead of ascending through the mediastinum, is directed 

 towards the coronary ligament of the liver; and being there 

 joined by other vessels, it enters immediately into the thoracic 

 duct at the upper part of the abdominal cavity, or at the low- 

 er part of the thorax. 



Another division comes from the upper surface of the right 

 lobe, and gaining the right lateral ligament, penetrates into the 

 thorax through the diaphragm, and advancing along the costal 

 margin of this muscle, terminates in the first division under the 

 sternum. Sometimes one of its branches, thrice as large as a 

 crow-quill, runs backward to the spine, and is inserted into the 

 thoracic duct behind the oesophagus, without passing through 

 any gland; there are also, occasionally, several other arrange- 

 ments of the trunks of this division.* 



Another division comes from the upper surface of the left lobe 

 of the liver, and its trunks, advancing to the left lateral liga- 

 ment, get into the thorax through the diaphragm. Some of the 

 trunks then run forward on the convexity of this muscle, to ter- 

 minate in the trunks under the sternum, while others retire back- 

 ward to end in the glands around the oesophagus, immediately 

 above the diaphragm. 



There are various departures from this general arrangement 

 of the absorbents on the upper surface of the liver ; as their 

 trunks invariably reach the thoracic duct, ultimately, the parti- 

 cular routes do not seem to be rigidly fixed. 



* Cruikshank, loc. cit. 



