OF THE LYMPHATIC VESSELS. 



SECTION IV. 



OF THE LYMPHATIC SYSTEM. 



458. The lymphatic system comprehends, 1st: the vessels 

 which convey the lymph and chyle into the veins, and 2d 

 enlargements occurring in their course, and which are called 

 conglobate glands, or lymphatic ganglia. 



ARTICLE I. 



OF THE LYMPHATIC VESSELS. 



459. The lymphatic vessels, called also absorbents, are so 

 attenuated, thin and valvular, which renders their observa- 

 tion and injection very difficult, that the knowledge of their 

 existence is rather of a recent date. The ancients, however, 

 had a glimspe of them. Erasistratus and Erophilus had cer- 

 tainly perceived the chyliferous vessels. It is Eustachio who 

 has discovered the thoracic canal in the horse. Aselli saw 

 and called lacteal vessels, the chyliferous vessels of some ani- 

 mals. He points out very well their functions. Veslingius 

 is the first who saw the chyliferous or lymphatic vessel of 

 the mesentery and thoracic duct in man. We owe to 0. Rud- 

 beck the discovery of the vessels of this kind in the other 

 parts of the body, although it has also been ascribed to Th. 

 Bartholin and to Jolyf. The discoverer gave them the name 

 of serous, aqueous, or lymphatic vessels. Bartholin conjec- 

 tured that they were, like the veins, continuous with the ca- 

 pillary arteries, and destined to convey the watery part of the 

 blood. Ruysch has very well described their valves. The 

 knowledge of the lymphatic vessels has been very much in- 

 creased by the labours of Meckel, Monro, by those of W. 

 Hunter, and of three of his disciples,!. Hunter, W. Hewson,* 



* Descriptio systematis lyrnphatici, ex anglico versa, in op. omn. Lugd- 

 Bat 1795. 



