ABSORBENTS OF THE VISCERA OF THE THORAX. 305 



ment, easily discovered; but if the heart be macerated in water 

 for several days, so as to become somewhat putrid, the absor- 

 bents are filled and distended by the gazeous exhalation: on the 

 puncture of one of these vessels and the introduction of a^pipe, 

 they may all be readily filled. 



There are three principal trunks of these absorbents ; one fol- 

 lows the right coronary artery to the root of the aorta, and then 

 ascends over the front surface of the latter to the top of its arch, 

 where it enters a gland. The other two trunks follow the two 

 principal branches of the left coronary artery, and, coalescing 

 near its origin, they ascend to the bifurcation of the pulmonary 

 artery, and from that along the posterior face of the arch of the 

 aorta, to enter a gland between it and the trachea. These se- 

 veral vessels subsequently traverse the lymphatic glands about 

 the trachea, common to the heart and to the lungs : and ulti- 

 mately terminate under varied circumstances, either directly or 

 indirectly, in the left thoracic duct, the left internal jugular, or the 

 left subclavian vein. Mr. Cruikshank says, that the right coro- 

 nary trunk empties into the lymphatic trunks of the right side 

 of the neck, which shows that there is no fixed arrangement. 



The Absorbents of the Pericardium may also be found; they 

 terminate like the others of the heart, in the bronchial glands, 

 and are particularly associated with those of the thymus 

 gland. 



The Absorbents of the (Esophagus are so numerous as to 

 form a plexus from one end to the other of it. They run into 

 the bronchial glands, and, therefore, have a common termina- - 

 tion with the absorbents of the heart and lungs. Mr. Cruik- 

 shank says, that he has reason to believe that he has seen life 

 sustained through them alone and the absorbents of the mouth, 

 in a case where stricture prevailed for some months just above 

 the cardia, and where the food, after remaining for three or 

 five minutes in the oesophagus, was vomited up.* 



The Absorbents of the Thymus Gland are very abundant in 



* A case somewhat similar occurrg^ in the practice of Dr. Physjck, 



27* 



