246 
He refers also to*the observations of Buffon 
on the vesicles of the mamma of the horse, 
ox, and goat; to those of Von Baer on the 
vesicles in the mamma of the Delphinus Pho- 
cena, to those of Van Hoeven and Vrolik in 
the same, and in the Balena rostrata, and of 
Meckel in the Ornithorhynchus, adding ori- 
ginal observations and illustrations of his own, 
which demonstrate the same vesiculated struc- 
ture in the hedgehog and rabbit. 
During the course of the present year, 1840, 
the anatomy of the human breast has been des- 
cribed in a manner by Sir A. Cooper that leaves 
us nothing to desire, and the minuteness and 
accuracy of his descriptions are only equalled 
by the beauty and fidelity of the plates which 
represent the interesting results of his labours. 
In our description, therefore, of the human 
breast we shall do little more than draw from 
this deep well of instruction. 
Human mamma.— The position of the human 
mamme upon the pectoral muscles is too well 
known to require any detailed account. 
The nipples project forwards and outwards 
with a slight turn upwards, a direction which 
is beautifully adapted to the position of the 
infant when lying in its mother’s arms; and the 
abundance of the lactiferous tubes at the lower 
“paiey of the breast, as will be more particu- 
arly described hereafter, forms a soft cushion 
for the head of the child to rest upon. 
“ The margins of the breast,” ae Sir Astley 
Cooper,* “do not form a regular disc, but the 
secreting structure often projects into the sur- 
rounding fibrous and adipose tissue so as to 
roduce radii from the nipple of very unequal 
engths, and a circular sweep of the knife cuts 
off many of its projections, spoils the breast 
for dissection, and in surgical operations leaves 
much of the disease unremoved.” 
At the age of puberty and for some time 
after, if the breasts are not called upon to per- 
form their office, they present to the touch a 
dense, compact, smooth, and equal surface ; 
but the distension of the cells in lactation 
stretches and relaxes the uniting cellular and 
fibrous membrane, and separates it into “ small 
bodies with indentations around them.” This 
lobulated character does, however, supervene 
even in childless women upon the cessation 
of the sexual secretion. 
Following the arrangement of Sir A. Cooper, 
we shall consider the individual parts of the 
breast from without inwards. 
The nipple is not placed in the centre of the 
breast, but nearer the abdominal margiu of the 
gland. In the virgin it is a rounded cone and 
nearly smooth until puberty, but in the lactating 
woman forms a flat surface, cribriform with the 
lactiferous tubes in the centre. “ At 16 years 
it is slightly wrinkled; at 17 it has small 
papilla upon its surface; from 20 to 40 years 
the papille are large; from 40 to 50 the nipple 
becomes wrinkled; from 50 to 60 the nipple 
is elongated ; and in old age it usually has a 
warty appearance.” 
This alteration in form during lactation, the 
* Page 13. 
MAMMARY GLANDS. 
extremity becoming the broadest bes nders- 
the adhesion of the child’s mouth firmer and 
more complete. F. 
The nipple or mammilla consists of the com= 
mon integuments, fascia, milk-tubes, od- 
vessels, nerves, and connecting cellular mem- 
brane. re 
The cuticle offers no peculiarities except t 
processes which it sends into the lactifero 
tubes, which may be drawn out after continus 
maceration. Its extreme delicacy is well kno 
to the medical practitioner. 
Sir A. Cooper states that the rete muco; 
“enters with the cuticle into the lactife 
tubes.” This may be better seen in the lat 
quadrupeds, where they terminate a few ling 
from the extremities of the tubes, forming 
fringed edge. “a 
“ Cutis of the nipple—This forms a consit 
able portion of the mammilla, and it is divi 
into two surfaces when the breast is ima s 
of lactation. 
“The first forms the dise or circumfer 
of the nipple, and the second its bro 1, 
truncated apex, in which the nat 
of the milk-tubes may be seen in numel 
orifices. ee 
“ The disc is composed of a numb 
papille, which produce a vascular and s 
surface, and which form its erectile and h 
sensitive tissue. 
“ The direction of these Loge is fro 
base towards the apex of the nipple, so 
they are pushed back as the mammilla 
the mouth of the child, and thus gre 
ment is produced. 
“ They lap over be truncated extrem 
nipple, forming a foliage upon its apex. 
folinted charéete is one of the me 
of gestation. 
“ They form in their arrangement upon 
nipple broken portions of circles, but # 
the nipple is elongated and dried they ap 
to be spiral. 
“They form flaps, which are at their ec 
divided into numerous projections, with ser 
depressions between them. } 
“ They are directed forwards towards the 
of the nipple, and the papille of the chil 
lips passing from within outwards, meet th 
in sucking, are received between them, in 
mix with them, and produce conside 
adhesion and sensation. : 
‘“ They are very numerous and large foi 
size of the part, and rather spongy at 
extremities. a 
“ They are very vascular bodies, and I 
given a figure of them injected. The mi 
arteries which pass from the base towards” 
apex of the nipple send numerous branch 
the papille cutis, which divide into little bus 
of vessels in each papilla and te 
veins. 
“ The veins also are very numerous, a 
will be seen injected, forming bushes 
to the extremities of the arteries. 
“ The application of the child’s lips, the dra 
ing of the nipple in the motions of the child’ 
head, and the suction produced by its moutl 
ity: 
ban 
erm. 
