LYMPHATIC VESSELS OF ABDOMINAL AXD PELVIC VISCERA 797 



The lymphatic vessels of the small intestine (Fig. 572) are called lacteals, 

 from the milk-white fluid they usually contain. They take origin in the intestinal 

 villi and in lymphatic sinuses around the bases of the solitary follicles. Lymphatic 

 plexuses exist in the submucous tissue, the muscular coat, and the subserous 

 tissue. The lymphatic vessels pass between the layers of the mesentery, enter 

 the mesenteric nodes, and finally unite to form two or three large trunks which 

 terminate separately in the receptaculum chyli; frequently, however, they unite 

 to form a single large trunk, termed the intestinal lymphatic trunk (Figs. 553 

 and 57t) . 



The lymphatic vessels of the large intestine consist of three sets those 

 of the cecum, ascending and transverse colon, which, after passing through their 

 proper nodes, enter the mesenteric nodes; those of the descending colon and 

 sigmoid flexure, which pass to the lumbar nodes, and those of the rectum and anus, 

 which pass to the sacral and superficial inguinal nodes. 



ILEOCECAL 



ANTERIOR 

 - LYMPHATICS 



OF CECUM 



ANTERIOR 

 U-CECAL 

 I NODES 



NODE OF 

 APPENDIX 



FIG. 573. Ventral view of the lymphatics of the cecum and appendix. (Poirler and Charpy.) 



The lymphatic vessels of the anus and rectum take origin from two net- 

 works, one from the skin and mucous membrane and the other from the rnus-. 

 cujar coat. The lymph vessels from the skin at the anal margin pass to the super- 

 ficial inguinal nodes. Some vessels from the skin of the anus ascend and reach 

 the submucous plexus of the rectum, from which region lymph vessels pass to 

 the pararectal nodes, to the nodes along the middle hemorrhoidal artery, and 

 along the inferior hemorrhoidal artery, and to a pelvic node near the origin of the 

 internal pudic artery. The efferents from these nodes terminate in the preaortic 

 nodes around the origin of the inferior mesenteric artery. 



The lymphatic vessels of the liver are divisible into two sets, superficial and 

 deep. The former arise in the subperitoneal areolar tissue over the entire sur- 

 face of the organ, and may be grouped into (a) those on the convex surface, 

 (6) those on the inferior surface. 



(a) On the convex surface. The vessels from tie back part of this surface 

 reach their terminal nodes bv three different routes; the vessels of the middle 



