VOL. LXXVIII.] PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 4B5 



spine. The oesophagus was before it, inclining more and more to the right 

 towards its lower extremity, and it at length perforated the diaphragm somewhat 

 on the right side of the spine.* The thoracic duct was seen in the middle 

 between the descending aorta and vena azygos, in some places forming a plexus 

 of small branches, in another dividing itself into 2 branches, which afterwards 

 re-united in a common trunk, and at length climbing up to terminate in the 

 angle between the jugular and subclavian veins on the right side of the body. 

 The recurrent nerve of the parvagum on the right side passed round the begin- 

 ning of the descending aorta, and on the left passed round the common trunk ot 

 the carotid and subclavian arteries. The large intercostal nerves being exactly 

 under the same circumstances on each side, it was impossible there could be any 

 transposition in them. It appears then from the foregoing description, that 

 every thing admitting of such a change was completely transposed in the thorax* 



The liver was situated in the left hypochondriac region, the small lobe being 

 towards the right, and the great lobe in the left side. The ligaments uniting it 

 to the diaphragm corresponded to this change, the right transverse ligament 

 being longer, and the left being shorter, than usual. The suspensory ligament 

 could undergo little change, except being pushed to the left side along with the 

 liver. On pressing upwards the liver, so as to exhibit its posterior and under 

 surface, the gall bladder was seen on the left side preserving its proper relative 

 situation to the great lobe of the liver, and the vessels of the portae were found 

 on dissection to be transposed corresponding to the change of circumstances. 

 The hepatic artery was found climbing up obliquely from the right towards the 

 left, before the lobulus spigelii, and entered at the portae into the substance of 

 the liver by two or three branches on the right of the other vessels. The 

 ductus communis cholidochus was on the left of the other vessels, being formed 

 from the ductus hepaticus and ductus cysticus in the common way, and it passed 

 obliquely downwards on the left, to terminate in the duodenum. What was 

 most remarkable, it terminated in the fore part of the duodenum. The vena 

 portarum passed behind the hepatic artery and ductus communis cholidochus, 

 ascending obliquely towards the left side. 



The spleen was situated in the right hypochondriac region, adhering to the 

 diaphragm in the common way. There were 3 spleens, nearly of the size of a 

 pullet's egg, found adhering to the larger spleen by short adhesions, besides 2 

 other still smaller spleens u hich were involved in the epiploon at the great end of 

 the stomach. The pancreas was found on the right side behind the stomach, 

 running obliquely from the spleen to the curvature of the duodenum, and had 

 its duct entering in common with the ductus communis cholidochus into the 



* Tlie vena azygos was on tlie left side of the spine opening in the common way into the vena 

 cava superior, which we formerly mentioned to be also transposed in its situation. — Orig. 



