RIGHT BRACHIO-CEPHALIC TRUNK. 367 



or two glands, which are near the elbow ; and they receive in 

 their course, deep-seated branches from the muscles on the 

 humerus. ^ 



The absorbents from the anterior and external part of the 

 thorax, and the upper part of the abdomen, also proceed to the 

 axilla, and enter into the glands there : those which are deep- 

 seated joining the deep-seated vessels. The absorbents of the 

 mammae pass to the same glands ; and when they are affected 

 with the virus of cancer, can often be perceived, in their course, 

 in the living subject. 



The absorbents of the uppermost half of the back, and those 

 of the back of the neck, go likewise to the axilla. 



The absorbent vessels, collected from these various sources, 

 proceed from the exterior to the innermost glands, but with a 

 considerable diminution of their number: they accompany the 

 subclavian vein, and are reduced to one or two trunks, that 

 generally unite before their termination. On the left side, the 

 absorbents of the head and neck generally open into the tho- 

 racic duct, as has been already observed; and those of the left 

 arm also open into the thoracic duct, or into the subclavian 

 vein very near it. On the right side the absorbents from each 

 of these parts empty into the common trunk, which often is 

 formed by the union of large vessels, from four sources, and 

 called brachio cephalic ; namely, the head, the thyroid gland, 

 the right arm, and the right cavity of the thorax. The 

 diameter of the trunk is very considerable ; but it is often not 

 more than half an inch in length. It generally opens into the 

 right subclavian vein, at the place where it unites to the right 

 internal jugular. 



Two respectable physiologists of Europe, (M. Seguin, of Paris and the late Dr. 

 Currie of Liverpool,) have doubted whether absorption takes place on the 

 external surface of the skin.* This question has been examined in a very 

 interesting manner by several graduates of the University of Pennsylvania, 



* I believe that M. Seguin's Memoir on this subject was read to the Academy of Sciences 

 a short time before the meetings of that body were suspended. It was published by M. 

 Fourcroy, in La Medicine Eclairee par les Sciences Physiques, vol. iii. An extract from M. 

 Fourcroy's publication may be seen in the 19th chapter of the first volume of Dr. Currie's 

 " Medical Reports on the Effects of Water," &c., in which is also contained a statement of 

 the Doctor's own experiments and reflections. 



