SECT. XXIX. i. 2. ABSORBENTS. 239 



branes, which line the larger cavities of the body, as the thorax, 

 abdomen, fcrotum, pericardium, take up the mucus poured in- 

 to thofe cavities ; and are diftinguifhed by the names of their re- 

 fpetive cavities. 



Whilft thofe, which arife from the internal furfaces of the 

 urinary bladder, gall-bladder, falivary du&s, or other receptacles 

 of fecreted fluids, may take their names from thofe fluids ; the 

 thinner parts of which it is their office to abforb : as urinary, 

 bilious, or falivary abforbents. 



2. Many of thefe abforbent veflels, both la&eals and lymphat- 

 ics, like fome of the veins, are replete with valves : which feem 

 defigned to aflift the progrefs of their fluids, or at lead to pre- 

 vent their regurgitation , where they are fubjected to the inter- 

 mitted preflure of the mufcular, or arterial adtions in their 

 neighbourhood. 



Thefe valves do not however appear to be neceffary to all the 

 abforbents, any more than to all the veins ; fince they are not 

 found to exift in the abforbent fyftem of fi(h ; according to the 

 difcoveries of the ingenious, and much lamented Mr. Hewfon* 

 Philof. Tranf. v. 59, Enquiries into the Lymph. Syft. p. 94. 



3. Thefe abforbent veflels are alfo furnifhed with glands^ 

 which are called conglobate glands ; whofe ufe is not at prefent 

 fufficiently inveftigated ; but it is probable that they referable 

 the conglomerate glands both in ftru&ure and in ufe, except that 

 their abforbent mouths are for the conveniency of (ituation plac- 

 ed at a greater di (lance from the body of the gland. The con- 

 glomerate glands open their mouths immediately into the fan- 

 guiferous veflels, which bring the blood, from whence they ab- 

 forb their refpetive fluids, quite up to the gland ; but thefe 

 conglobate glands collel their adapted fluids from very diftant 

 membranes, or cylts, by means of mouths furnilhed with long 

 necks for this purpofe ; and which are called lafteals, or lym- 

 phatics. 



4. The fluids, thus collefted from various parts of the body, 

 pafs by means of the thoracic duft into the left fubclavian near 

 the jugular vein ; except indeed that thofe collected from the 

 right fide of the head and neck, and from the right arm, are car- 

 ried into the right fubclavian vein : and fometimes even the 

 lymphatics from the right fide of the lungs are inferted into 

 the right fubclavian vein : whilft thofe of the left fide of the 

 head open but juft into the fummit of the thoracic dudt. 



5. In the abforbent fyftcva there are many anaftomofes of the 

 veiTds, which feem of great confequence to the prefervation of 

 health. Thefe anaitomofes are difcovered by difleftion to be 



very 



