LYMPHATIC SYSTEM. 133 



The lacteals of the small intestines, as they run upon the 

 mesentery, commonly accompany the superior mesenteric artery, 

 and unite, as they go on, into larger branches, so that by the 

 time they have reached the root of the mesentery, they are of 

 a considerable size, as may be seen in Plate II at k from 

 the mesenteric artery they pass down by the sides of the aorta, 

 and open into the thoracic duct, as is seen at m. Whilst 

 the lacteals, or rather the lymphatics of the large intestines, 

 accompany the inferior mesenteric artery, and open into the 

 large lymphatic vessels near its root. 1 



Into the thoracic duct at m, likewise enters the lymph of the 

 other viscera contained in the abdomen. This lymph is brought 

 by a number of vessels ; a plexus of which may be traced from 

 each kidney, lying principally behind the emulgent artery, and 

 opening into the large lymphatic vessels near the aorta : with 

 these likewise go the lymphatics of the glandulse renales, or 

 renal capsula3, as they are called. 



The lymphatic vessels of the spleen pass from the concave 

 side of that viscus, along with the splenic artery in the sinuosity 

 of the pancreas, by the lymphatic vessels of which the splenic 

 lymphatics probably are joined. 



The stomach has two sets of lymphatic vessels, the one run- 

 ning upon its lesser, and the other upon its greater curvature ; 

 that which belongs to its lesser curvature accompanies the coro- 

 nary artery, and passes through some lymphatic glands that 

 lie by its sides. The other set of lymphatic vessels passes from 

 the great curvature of the stomach, through some lymphatic 

 glands that lie close to the arteria gastrica dextra; and de- 

 scending by the pylorus, meets the plexus that accompanied 

 the coronary artery ; and near the lesser curvature of the duo- 

 denum, forms a considerable network : into which not only the 

 lymphatics from the spleen enter, but likewise those from the 

 gall-bladder ; and those of the liver, which are very numerous, 

 both in its convex and on its concave side. 2 From this net- 

 work go some branches under the duodenum, and others over 

 it, these branches open into the thoracic duct, near the termina- 



1 The lymphatic vessels arise even from the rectum, as can be seen in quadrupeds 

 that are opened immediately after death ; or in fish when a coloured injection is 

 thrown into their lymphatic system. 



2 The lymphatic vessels of the liver are painted by Nuck in his Adenographia, p. 64, 



