s 



INTESTINAL MUCOUS MEMBRANE. 161 



lymphatics run into the deeper cervical glands. The 

 nerves are very numerous, and seern to terminate by 

 free extremities. 



In the mucous membrane of the oesophagus there 

 are a great many conical papillae, but otherwise its 

 structure is the same as that of the pharynx. It has 

 no ductless glands, and its mucous follicles are not 

 very numerous. Its blood-vessels, by no means so 

 abundant as those of the pharynx, have no peculi- 

 arities in regard to their distribution. Its lymphatics 

 communicate with the deep glands of the lower -part 

 of the neck, and with those of the posterior medi- 

 astinum. It is freely supplied with nerves, but their 

 mode of termination is as yet undetermined. 



The mucous membrane of the pharynx and ceso- 

 phagus is everywhere connected by its attached sur- 

 face to a thick stratum of muscular tissue ; in the 

 pharynx this is formed by its constrictor muscles, and 

 in the cesophagus by two layers, of which the fibres 

 of the inner are circular, and the outer, longitudinal. 

 The muscular walls of the pharynx are composed 

 exclusively of striped fibres, but in the cesophagus 

 this is true only of its upper part ; below, its mus- 

 cular fibres are non-striated.* 



The mucous membrane of the stomach is softer and Gasti : ic mucous 



membrane. 



* According to Todd and Bowman (Physiological Anatomy, Lond. 

 1856, vol. II. p. 188), striped muscular fibres can be traced as far as the 

 diaphragm, in the muscular coat of the oesophagus ; and according to 

 Sharpey and Quain (Elements of Anatomy, 5th Ed., Lond., 1848, vol. 

 II. p. 1015), "they have been traced throughout its whole length, and 

 even, it is said (Ficinus), upon the cardiac end of the stomach." This is 

 also stated by Cruveilhier, on the authority of Valentin and Ficinus (Ana- 

 tomy, 1st Am. ed. New York, 1844, foot note, p. 323. (Ed.) 



