OP THE MILK. 389 



fifteen in each breast. These are every where dilated 

 into large sinuses, but have no true anastomosis with 

 each other.* 



615. These trunks terminate in very delicate excre- 

 tory canals, that are collected, towards the centre, 

 by means of cellular substance, into the nipple,f which, 

 supplied with extremely fine blood-vessels and nerves, 

 is capable of a curious erection on the approach of 

 certain external stimuli. 



616. The nipple is surrounded by the areola,% which, 

 as well as the nipple, is remarkable for the colour § of 

 the reticulum under the cuticle, || and contains sebaceous 

 follicles.** 



617. The secretion of the breast is the milk, well 

 known in colour, watery, somewhat fatty, rather sweet, 

 bland, resembling in all respects the milk of domestic 

 animals, but subject to infinitely greater varieties in the 

 proportion of its constituent parts, far more difficult of 

 coagulation from the great quantity of salt which it 

 contains, and affording no trace of volatile alkali.ff 



618. When coagulated by means of alcohol, it dis- 



* J. Gottl. Walter, Observ. Anat. p. 33 sq. 



f Santorini, Tab. posth. viii. 



+ Ruysch, Thes. i. tab. iv. fig. 4. 



§ In pregnant women, especially during the first pregnancy, the nipples are 

 usually yellow. In the Samojede females, even when virgins, Klingstaedt asserts 

 that they are quite black. Mim. sur les Samojedes et les Lappons. p. 44. 



|| B. S. Albinus, Annotat. Acad. L. iii. tab. iv. fig. 3. 



** Morgagni, Advers. Anat. i. tab. iv. fig. 2. 



+T Fl. J. Voltelen (Prses. Hahn), De lacte humano observations chemicee. 

 LB. 1775. 4to. 



Parmentier and Deyeux, Pricis a" Experiences et observations sur les dif- 

 firentes especes du lait. Strasburg. 1798. 8vo. Thenard, Annates de Chimie. 

 T. Hx. p. 262. 



