384 



NERVES OF AILMENTARY CANAL. [BOOK n. 



as follows. The alimentary canal possesses a power of spontane- 

 ous movement, feeble it is true, very inferior to that of the heart, 

 and very apt to be latent, but still existing. The presence of food 



RV 



Ret. 



FIG. 84. DIAGRAM TO ILLUSTRATE THE NERVES OF THE ALIMENTARY 

 CANAL IN THE DOG. 



The figure is for the sake of simplicity made as diagrammatic as possible, and does 

 not represent the anatomical relations. 



Oe to Ret. The alimentary canal, oesophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intes- 

 tine, rectum. 



LV. Left vagus nerve, ending on front of stomach, r.l. recurrent laryngeal nerve 

 supplying upper part of oesophagus. 7?. V. right vagus, joining left vagus in 

 cesophageal plexus, oe. pi., supplying the posterior part of stomach and con- 

 tinned as R'.V'. to join the solar plexus, here represented by a single ganglion and 

 connected with the inferior mesenteric ganglion (or plexus) m. gl.-^-a. 'branches 

 from the solar plexus to stomach and small intestine, and from the mesenteric 

 ganglion to the large intestine. 



Spl. maj. Large splanchnic nerve arising from the thoracic ganglia and rami com- 

 municantes r.c. belonging to dorsal nerves from the 6th to the 9th (or 10th). 



Spl. min. Small splanchnic nerve similarly arising from 10th and llth dorsal nerves. 

 These both join the solar plexus and thence make their way to the alimentary 

 canal. 



C.r. Nerves from the ganglia &c. belonging to llth and 12th dorsal and 1st and 

 2nd lumbar nerves, proceeding to the inferior mesenteric ganglia (or plexus) 

 m. ql. and thence by the hypogastric nerve n. hyp and the hypogastric plexus 

 pi. hyp. to the circular muscles of the rectum. 



l.r. Nerves from the 2nd and 3rd sacral nerves, S2, S3 (nervi erigentes), proceeding 

 by the hypogastric plexus to the longitudinal muscles of the rectum. 



