TOL. VII.] PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 737 



As to the manner of proceeding, in the presence of the whole company, for 

 finding this communication, it was this: after there had been sliowed t'lc com- 

 merce of the ductus thoracicus with the right ventricle of the heart by an injec- 

 tion of milk, which having been syringed into the beginning of this channel, 

 issued in great quantity through this ventricle; we tied the trunk of the vena 

 cava above the heart, so that nothing might pjJfes that way; and the trunk of 

 the emulgent and that of the vena cava having been opened above longwise, 

 some milk, ready to boil, was* injected into the emulgent through the left lum- 

 bar vein (which we have ever observed to come from the emulgent) and at the 

 same time we saw it come away through the other lumbar. 



'J- This way was, to syringe into the trunk of the ductus thoracicus a com- 

 position, that might run into it being hot, and which by being refrigerated 

 might become solid enough to afford a greater facility to follow and trace the 

 channels, in the cavity of which it should be thus hardened. And this design 

 succeeded in part. For the composition filled the whole ductus thoracicus, and 

 ascended as far as into the subclavian ; but there passed nothing into the chan- 

 nel that makes the communication sought for, though care was had to warm 

 the ambient parts by several injections of warm milk, to the end that the com- 

 position might not harden before it had penetrated into all the conduits. We 

 also tried to inject the same composition through the lumbar that issues out of 

 the trunk, if its valves would permit it; but they stopped all that we endea- 

 voured to make pass that way, and neither the milk nor the wind would ever 

 enter there. 



J The advantage we had from the injection of this composition into the said 



DR. NEEDHAM's annotations. 



♦ An injection into the linnbar vein with its effects mentioned, can prove nothing but the inoscu- 

 lation of the two lumbar veins with each other, which is acknowledged to be such in all the capillary 

 vessels of the same kind, viz. veins with veins, and arteries with arteries. But the thing required here 

 is, the passage from the receptaculum to the lumbar vein, or to any other vein besides the subclavian. 



f The way of syringing a liquor, which is apt to coagulation, into the ductus thoracicus, &c. I think 

 to be needless and unprofitable as to this inquiry, when there is a more easy experiment to be made, 

 which is more demonstrative ; viz. open a dog at a convenient distance of time from his feeding, and 

 then tie a ligature on the ductus thoracicus nigh the subclavian; your receptaculum chyli will continue 

 full, 48 hours or longer if you please ; so that if there be any such ductus, it must remain likewise 

 full with its own natural liquor, and be all that while visible. But, if there were any such ductus, it 

 would in a quarter of the time empty the whole receptacle; whereas upon a ligature you will find the 

 clean contrary, viz. all the lacteal vessels (that are acknowledged to be such) fiilly distended; which 

 ia a full demonstration that they have no way of evacuation by any other duct than the thoracic. 



I The other use of the coagulating injection I applaud, though the same may be done by the liga- 

 ture abovesaid. However the event of the experiment, made by the learned Pecquet, makes against 

 the opinion of a new ductus, and not for it, as appears by the narrative. [It is a fact well established 

 VOL. I. 5 A 



