498 



PNEUMOGASTRIC NERVE. 



FIG. 152. 



the stomach. Its veins enter the 

 inferior thyroid, the bronchial, vena 

 azygos, superior vena cava, internal 

 mammary, and coronary vein of the 

 stomach. It has also lymphatics dis- 

 charging their contents into the 

 ganglia which surround it. 



The nerves of the oesophagus are 

 numerous and consist chiefly of 

 branches from the pneumo-gastric, 

 which surround it and constitute the 

 cesophageal plexus. 



The pneumo-gastric, (Fig. 152,) or 

 par vagum, being so largely con- 

 nected with the oesophagus, as well 

 as with a variety of other important 

 organs, demands a description in 

 this place. This nerve, (classed 

 along with the eighth pair, though 

 a more strict classification makes it 

 the tenth,) arises by numerous fila- 

 ments, generally ten or twelve, from 

 the medulla oblongata in the fissure 

 between the corpora olivare and res- 

 tiforme. These unite into one nerve, 

 which joins the glosso-pharyngeal 

 above, and the spinal accessory be- 

 low, and the whole proceed to the 

 foramen lacerum posterius, through 



FIG. 152 represents the eighth pair of nerves. 1 Corpus pyramidale. 2 Pons 

 Varolii. 3 Corpus olivare. 4 Corpus restiforme. 5 Facial nerve. 6 Origin 

 of glosso-pharyngeal. 7 Ganglionum petrosum. 8 Trunk of glosso-pharyn- 

 geal. 9 Spinal accessory. 10 Ganglion of par-vagum or pneumogastric nerve. 

 11 Its ganglion taking the plexiform arrangement. 12 Trunk of par vagum. 

 13 Its pharyngeal branch. 14 Pharyngeal plexus. 15 Superior laryngeal 

 nerve. 16 Cardiac branches. 17 Recurrent branch. 18 Anterior pulmonary 

 branches. 19 Posterior pulmonary branches. 20 (Esophageal plexus. 2J 

 Gastric branches. 22 Point where spinal accessory arises. 23 Sterno-mastoid 

 branches. 24 Branches to the trapezius. 



