170 DISTRIBUTION OF THE LYMPHATICS, 



DISTRIBUTION OF THE LYMPHATICS. 



Mr. Percival remarks in his lectures, that " no English veter- 

 inarian has, up to the present day, (1820,) been at the pains to 

 demonstrate, practically, the particular distribution of the 

 absorbing vessels of the horse. Professor Girard, whose 

 l Traite cf Anatomie Veterinare 9 does no less credit to the 

 talent and industry of its author than honor to the veterinary 

 school over which he presides, has presented us with an arti- 

 cle on the ramification of the lymphatics, which I shall 

 translate. 



"THE THORACIC DUCT. 



" The largest, longest, and most remarkable of the lym- 

 phatic vessels, in which terminate the majority of the lym- 

 phatics of the body, is situated within the thorax, on the 

 right side of the dorsal vertebra?, between the aorta and vena 

 azygos : it receives the lymphatics from the posterior extrem- 

 ities, pelvis, parietes and viscera of the abdomen, head, neck, 

 withers, and left anterior extremity. 



" It takes its origin under the loins in a dilation or sinus, 

 situated at the root of the great mesenteric artery, and 

 is named the receptaculum chyli : it directs its course for- 

 ward, enters the thoracic cavity by the aortic perforation 

 through the diaphragm, extends along the bodies of the dor- 

 sal vertebrae, until it arrives opposite the base of the heart, 

 where it curves downward to cross over to the left side in its 

 way to the anterior opening of the thorax ; as it leaves the 

 spine for this purpose, runs over the trachea, and oesophagus j 

 having reached the left side, it stretches forward to the 

 beginning of the anterior vena cava, and terminates in the 

 base of the left axillary vein. Not unfrequently, it ends in 

 the right axillary ; in some instances, even in the beginning 

 of the anterior cava. At its termination, it dilates and forms 

 a sinus, whose mouth opens into the vein, is guarded by a 

 broad valve, so disposed as to prevent any reflux of blood into 



