484 PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. [aNNO 1788. 



variety did really exist. There is one circumstance that attends the account of 

 the present case, which has not always happened in the record of singular phe- 

 nomena, viz. that it has been examined by physicians and surgeons of the first 

 reputation in this large town, and has been in some measure open to the gratifi- 

 cation of public curiosity. 



The person who is the subject of this paper was a male, nearly 40 years of 

 age, somewhat above the middle stature, and of a clean active shape. He was 

 brought for dissection in the common way to Windmill-street. On opening the 

 cavity of the thorax and abdomen, the different situation of the viscera was so 

 striking as immediately to excite the attention of the pupils who were engaged 

 in dissecting it. I began immediately to examine every part of the change with 

 considerable attention : for this purpose, after desiring a drawing to be made of 

 the appearances as they were found on opening the body, I next day 

 injected it. 



The mediastinum, or anterior duplicature of the pleura, separating the 2 

 cavities of the chest from each other, was found to incline obliquely downwards 

 to the right side fully as much as it does commonly to the left side of the chest. 

 The pericardium too inclined obliquely to the right side. On pressing it gently 

 away from the lungs the phrenic nerves came distinctly into view, in their common 

 situation ; but the right phrenic nerve ran more obliquely, and was longer than 

 the left. The lung on the right side was divided by a single oblique fissure 

 into 2 lobes, having at the same time a deficiency opposite to the apex of the 

 heart; and the lung on the left side was divided into 3 lobes, exactly contrary 

 to what is found in ordinary cases. 



On opening the pericardium the apex of the heart was found to point to the 

 right side nearly opposite to the 6th rib, and its cavities as well as large vessels 

 were completely transposed. What are commonly called the right auricle and 

 ventricle were situated on the left side, and the left auricle and ventricle on the 

 right. The pulmonary artery ascended towards the right side of the chest. 

 The aorta was also directing its arch to the right; and the vena cava superior, as 

 well as inferior, were seen opening into their auricle on the left side of the spine. 

 There was nothing remarkable in the size or general figure of the heart. On 

 the outside of the pericardium the transposition of the larger vessels was very 

 striking. The longer subclavian vein was passing from the left side obliquely 

 to the right before the branches which are sent off from the arch of the aorta. 

 The left carotid and subclavian arteries were found to arise from the arch of the 

 aorta by one common trunk ; the right carotid and subclavian separately. 



In the duplicature of the pleura behind, or what may be called the posterior 

 mediastinum, there was a change corresponding to what we have already de- 

 scribed. The descending aorta was found passing on the right side of the 



