C. THE (ESOPHAGUS, BY E. KLEIN. 541 



The submucous tissue of the oesophagus likewise diminishes 

 in thickness as it passes through the cardia into the stomach. 

 The external muscular layer undergoes the following changes 

 at the same part : 



The fasciculi of smooth muscular tissue of the inner layer 

 of the oesophagus lying next to the cardia, after having re- 

 markably increased in size, and assumed a transverse direction, 

 attach themselves, without any defined line of demarcation, to 

 the circular muscular layer of the stomach, the fasciculi of 

 which are likewise very strong. Those fasciculi of the inner 

 layer that are more remote from the cardia, as they change 

 their direction from the oblique into the longitudinal, enter the 

 external longitudinal coat of the stomach, the innermost por- 

 tion of which they form. They chiefly consist of smooth mus- 

 cular fibres, and in order to reach the longitudinal muscular 

 layer of the stomach, run outwards round the transverse fas- 

 ciculi of the inner layer lying close to the cardia. The middle 

 transverse layer of the lowest portion of the oesophagus ceases 

 almost entirely after rapidly diminishing in thickness at the 

 cardia, only a few transversely striated fibres, with the smaller 

 part of the external longitudinal muscular coat of the oesophagus, 

 passing into the external longitudinal muscular layer of the sto- 

 mach, the most external portion of which they form. Amongst 

 the transversely striated fibres which preponderate in this ex- 

 ternal layer are a few fasciculi of smooth muscular fibres. The 

 middle and strongest portion of the external longitudinal mus- 

 cular coat commences at the cardia itself, and is exclusively 

 composed of unstriated muscle. This layer of smooth muscular 

 fibres is consequently introduced between the fasciculi, chiefly 

 composed of smooth muscles, which are derived from the more 

 remotely situated portions of the internal layer of the oeso- 

 phagus and the transversely striated muscular fibres proceeding 

 from the external longitudinal muscular tunic. 



Immediately after the passage of the oesophagus through the 

 foramen cesophageum, isolated oblique and transversely striated 

 muscular fasciculi are found in the external fibrous sheath. 

 Whether these are derived from the longitudinal muscular layer 

 of the oesophagus, or from the surrounding tissues, I am not at 

 present in a position to determine. 



p p 2 



