LYMPHATICS OF THE CHEST. 595 



enter the bronchial glands. The deep-seated take the 

 course of the bronchial vessels and tubes, and also go 

 to the bronchial glands, and the thoracic duct, and 

 some to the right lymphatic duct at the base of the 

 neck. 



The lymphatics of the heart accompany the coronary ves- 

 sels and proceed to the bronchial glands, and thence to 

 the left thoracic duct. 



The lymphatics of the thymus gland, go to the bronchial 

 glands ; and those of the oesophagus, which are found 

 to be very numerous, so much so as to form a continued 

 plexus around its whole extent, also enter the bronchial 

 glands. 



The lymphatic glands of the chest are also parietal and 

 visceral. The former are found near the heads of the ribs, 

 between the intercostal spaces, posterior to the sternum, 

 along the internal mammary vessels, a few in the anterior 

 mediastinum reaching from the diaphragm to the neck, 

 and a chain of them along the oesophagus and aorta in the 

 posterior mediastinum. 



The visceral glands are the bronchial or pulmonary, 

 which are situated about the root of the trachea at its di- 

 vision, and pursue the course of the bronchia for some dis- 

 tance into the structure of the lungs. They are numerous 

 and large, and are estimated at from ten to twenty in 

 number. Their most striking peculiarity is their color, 

 which is black, and is stated to depend upon a deposition 

 of carbon from the bronchial lymphatic vessels. In early 

 life these glands are of a reddish color, then gray, and 

 finally black. 



The left or great thoracic duct, which is the common tube 

 for the lymphatics of all the viscera and structures below 

 the diaphragm, as well as those of the left side of the 

 chest, left neck, head, and left upper extremity, commences 

 below the diaphragm in the receptaculum chyli, passes up 

 the chest between the aorta and vena azygos, and finally 

 terminates at the junction of the left subclavian and inter- 

 nal jugular veins. Its course is more fully described under 

 the head of glandular tissue. 



