890 
which Valentin® has termed plexus gastricus 
anterior et superior. 
Right vagus.—As the right vagus is entering 
the abdomen it sends numerous branches upon 
the ON ip of the termination of the 
«esophagus of the cardiac extremity of the 
stomach. Part of these disappear in the mus- 
cular fibres of the @sophagus and stomach ; 
others anastomose with the branches of the left 
vagus, while others proceed downwards and to 
the left side upon the posterior surface of the 
large cul-de-sac of the stomach, sending fila- 
ments into the muscular coat, and also anas- 
tomosing with the filaments of the splenic 
plexus accompanying the vasa brevia. The 
right vagus also sends some branches upon the 
arr ye surface of the stomach, to be distri- 
uted in that part of the organ, a few of which 
proceed as far as the large curvature, and 
course along it from left to right. It also 
sends two or three branches along the smaller 
curvature, which anastomose with the coronary 
plexus and branches of the left vagus. A 
considerable portion of the right vagus,—so 
large as generally to present the appearance 
of being the continuation of the trunk of the 
nerve,—proceeds from the posterior surface of 
the cardiac region of the stomach, backwards 
and downwards to the left side of the cceliac 
axis, sending branches to the splenic, the coro- 
nary, and to the superior mesenteric plexuses, to 
the plexus surrounding the pancreatic branches 
of the splenic artery; and it ultimately termi- 
nates in the left semilunar ganglion. The 
branches of the right vagus running upon the 
posterior surface of the lower part of the 
esophagus and cardiac orifice of the stomach 
have been termed the posterior cardiac plexus.+ 
Dr. Remak has discovered numerous small 
ganglia upon the filaments of the cardiac 
nerves, as they are ramified upon the surface 
of the heart;{ also upon some of the filaments 
of the pulmonary plexus, and upon some of 
the finer branches of the superior laryngeal 
nerve.§ These ganglia can scarcely be seen by 
the naked eye, and it is only when examined 
by the microscope that we can satisfactorily 
determine their nature. These ganglia appear 
to be placed upon the filaments of the sympa- 
thetic, conjoined with the branches of the vagi, 
and not upon those of the vagi. 
According to Volkmann and Bidder the 
vagus nerve contains, in all vertebrated animals, 
a greater number of sympathetic than cerebro- 
spinal filaments; and this preponderance of the 
sympathetic over the cerebro-spinal is more 
marked in the lower than in the higher verte- 
brata. This remark is in conformity with the 
observations of E. H. Weber upon the relative 
size of the vagus and sympathetic in the diffe- 
rent families of the vertebrata, from which it 
appears that in the lower vertebrata the vagus 
* Opus cit. 8. 503. 
+ Many anatomists describe the branches given 
off by both vagi near the cardiac orifice of the 
stomach as forming a single cardiac plexus, the 
larger portion of which is formed by the right vagus. 
¢ Casper’s Wochenschrift fiir die gesammte Heil- 
kunde den 9ten Marz, 1839, 
§ Medicinische Zeitung. Berlin, 8 Jan. 1840, 
PAR VAGUM. 
increases, the sympathetic diminishes, in size. 
The branches of the vagus distributed in the 
esophagus, —— lungs, — liver, and 
ills, are chiefly composed of sympathetic — 
Sia cass while the recurrent one of the motor — 
branches is chiefly composed of cerebro-spinal 
filaments.* ods « 
Connection of tesa le ee a 
We have seen that, as the vagus and 
emerge from the foramen lacerum 
the internal branch of the accessory joims — 
itself to the vagus, and that while part of its” 
filaments phe assist in forming pe ra 
pharyngeal branch of the vagus, rest pro-— 
pane peat with the pa of the foe 
and become incorporated with it. Bi 
statest that he has not been able to trace the 
filaments of the accessory into any of the — 
branches of the vagus except the phar 
while Bendz{ has been more s ss 
states that the portion * the a which — 
accompanies the vagus down the neck sends @ 
few pt ane to the upper part of the inferior 
ganglion of the vagus, and pa itself to 
some of the posterior and external fibres of the 
vagus which do not pass through the ganglion. 
Below the ganglion these fibres form part of 
the trunk of the nerve, being enclosed in the 
same neurilema with those which pass through — 
the ganglion. At the lower edge of the ga 
glion, or sometimes a little lower, the accessor 
portion sends off some filaments which often 
join the external branch of the superior 
geal, but more frequently give twigs to 
sterno-thyroid muscle. Other fibres of the 
accessory portion accompany the vagus into the 
thorax, and some of them assist in forming th 
recurrent nerve. Some small twigs from 
accessory join the pulmonary and cardiae p 
uses; the remainder accompany the 
the stomach, where they are lost. Mr. Spence 
states that those fibres of the vagus which di 
not through the superior ganglion ar 
jane the internal branch of the accessory 
and that these together form a small flat bane 
which may be traced among the other fibres 
the vagus to the lower part of the neck, wh 
it is joined by some of the other fibres of t 
vagus which have passed through the gangli 
and seems to go principally to the fo , 
the recurrent nerve. 
We have seen that the vagi are distribu 
over a large space and upon many of 
They send branches to the external a 
harynx, the larynx, the esophagus, the t 
the pada body, the nets the lungs, 
stomach; also to the liver, the spleen, 
pancreas, the small intestines, and p rc hs 
other viscera of the abdomen. In their cot 
they communicate very freely and extens 
with the sympathetic,§ and toa greater or 
* Dic Selbetatindigkert des Sympathisches 
vensystems, by Bidder and Volkmann. Als 
article Nervenphysiologie in W 
terbuch der Physiologie, p. 584. 
+ Oper. cit. p. 25. 
t Oper. cit. p. 20, 21, 23. - a 
§ In many of the mammalia the cervical por 
of the sympathetic joins the trunk of the ¥ 
immediately below the inferior ganglion of 
% 
da) 
agner’s Hands 
ae 
