CHAPTER II. 



ON THE STRUCTURE OF THE LYMPHATIC GLANDS. 



THESE glands, which by anatomists are called the lymphatic 

 glands, and vulgarly known by the name of waxen kernels, 

 since the discovery of the lymphatic vessels by Rudbeck and 

 Bartholine (anno 1651-2), have been properly considered as 

 appendages to the lymphatic system, and though many excel- 

 lent "anatomists since that period have employed themselves 

 with great assiduity, and made many curious experiments with 

 a view to complete the discovery of this important subject, yet 

 the lymphatic glands seem to have derived fewer advantages 

 from this spirit of inquiry than the other parts of the system ; 

 their structure and office being unknown, except as far as relates 

 to their gross anatomy, and even in that respect the best anato- 

 mists are not well agreed. Some suppose that each lymphatic 

 gland is composed of large cells, and others that they are 

 formed of convoluted lymphatic vessels (see Note cxix*), and 

 some, that the red veins communicate with the lymphatic vessels 

 in the substance of the gland. But in order to avoid perplexing 

 a subject of itself too intricate, we shall pass unnoticed the 

 various opinions advanced by different authors who have written 

 on this subject, and endeavour to describe the structure and 

 uses of these glands, from the ideas and experiments of the 

 ingenious author of the subsequent discoveries; and as the 

 anatomy of many parts is to be maturely considered, before we 

 can reason on the functions of any one of them (from the 

 mutual dependence they have on each other), we shall first 

 describe their structure, and afterwards inquire into their use. 



SECT. 1. A lymphatic gland, in size and shape, is commonly 

 compared to a small acorn ; though I think it more generally 

 resembles the figure of a kidney-bean, being oblong, rounded 

 at the extremities, and a little flattened on the upper and under 

 sides, particularly in the unmjected state. But independent 



