334 



DIVERSIONS OF A NATURALIST 



anatomists to trace the fine branches of the lacteals 

 uniting branch to branch, and at last forming a large 

 trunk called the thoracic duct about 

 a quarter of an inch thick, which runs 

 up the inner face of the backbone to the 

 neck, where it joins the great left sub- 

 clavian vein, and pours its contents into 

 the blood-stream which is there nearing 

 the heart. A small trunk formed by 

 the union of lymphatic vessels from the 

 right side of the head and neck and 

 the right upper limb 

 FIG. 43. The opens into the right sub- 

 fore - arm of 

 man, with the 

 skin removed 

 so as to show 

 the large sup- 

 erficial lym- 

 phatic vessels 



resting on the Gradually it was made 

 out that there are in- 

 numerable transparent 

 knotted cords, branches opening into the 

 On the palm thoracic duct from the 



?o c \ he ? and whole of the bod y> be ~ 



sides the milky-looking 

 lacteals: branches which 

 bring " limpid" clear fluid, 

 or " lymph," from all the 

 the smaller viscera, from the muscles, 

 lymphatic cap- and from the deeper 



illaries and layers of the skin j n every 



region of the body, even 

 from the toes, fingers, and 

 tongue tip. In fact, wherever the blood-vessels take 

 blood there are also vessels of the lymphatic system 



clavian vein. It took 

 some time to discover 

 this smaller trunk, since 

 it is not brought to 



vieW b milk Contents. 



muscles. They 

 are represent- 

 ed as white 



closer network 

 of these ves- 

 sels is repre- 

 sented, but 



spaces are not 

 shown. 



