ABSORBENTS OF THE LUNGS. 363 



The Absorbents of the Lungs. 



The absorbents of the lungs are very numerous, and, like 

 those of other viscera, are superficial and deep-seated. 



The large superficial vessels run in the interstices between 

 the lobuli, and, therefore, form angular figures of considerable 

 size. In successful injections, the vacancies within these figures 

 are filled up with small vessels, and the whole surface appears 

 minutely injected. 



Mascagni observes, that the superficial vessels are very 

 visible when any fluid has been effused into the cavity of the 

 thorax; or when warm water is injected, either into the blood- 

 vessels of the lungs, or the ramifications of the trachea. Cruik- 

 shank demonstrated them by inflating the lungs of a still-born 

 child ; in which case the air passes rapidly into them. 



The deep-seated absorbents accompany the blood-vessels and 

 the ramifications of the bronchise. They pass to the dark-col- 

 ored glands, which are situated on the trachea at its bifurcation ; 

 and on those portions of the bronchia which are exterior to the 

 lungs. The injection of the absorbents, which pass to and from 

 these glands, seem to prove that they are of the same nature 

 with the absorbent glands in general, notwithstanding their color. 

 They are numerous ; and they vary in size, from a diameter of 

 two lines to that of eight or ten. 



From these glands, some of the absorbents of the left lung 

 pass into the thoracic duct, while it is in the thorax, behind the 

 bifurcation of the trachea ; others proceed upwards and enter 

 into it near its termination ; while those of the right lung 

 terminate in the common trunk of the absorbents of the right 

 side. 



