92 THE BILE. 



these ducts arise from, blood-vessels , which are both very nu- 

 merous and in some instances very large, but of different de- 

 scriptions, as we shall state particularly. 



" The first blood-vessel to be noticed is the vena portarum 

 (or portce}) dissimilar from other veins, both in its nature and 

 course. Its trunk is formed from the combination of most of 

 the visceral veins belonging to the abdomen, is supported by 

 a cellular sheath called the capsule of Glisson h , and, on enter- 

 ing the liver, is divided into branches which are subdivided more 

 and more as they penetrate into the substance of the organ, 

 till they become extremely minute, and spread over every part. 

 Hence Galen compared this system to a tree whose roots were 

 dispersed in the abdomen, and its branches fixed in the liver. 1 



" The other kind of blood-vessels belonging to the liver, are 

 branches of the hepatic artery, which arises from the coeliac, is 

 much inferior to the vena portae in size, and in the number of its 

 divisions, but spreads by very minute ramifications throughout the 

 substance of the organ. 



" The extreme divisions of these two vessels terminate in true 

 veins, which unite into large venous trunks running to the vena 

 cava inferior. 



" These extreme divisions are inconceivably minute and col- 

 lected into very small glomerules k , which deceived Malpighi into 

 the belief that they were glandular acini, hexagonal, hollow, and 

 secretory. 1 



" From these glomerules arise the pori biliarii very delicate 

 ducts, secreting the bile from the blood, and discharging it from 

 the liver through the common hepatic duct, which is formed from 

 their union." 



Such is the account of the anatomy of the liver, given by 

 most writers as well as Blumenbach. But Dr. Miiller, Professor 

 at Bonn, m declares that he has discovered all glands, and the 



8 " See Haller, Icones Anat. Fascic. ii. tab. ii." 



h " Glisson, Anatomia Hepatis, p. 305. sq. 1659." 



! " De Venarum Arteriarumque dissectione, p. 109. Opera. Basil. 1562. 

 CL i." 



k " Nest. Maximeow. Ambodick, De Hepate. Argent. 1775. 4to." 



1 " Deviscerum structura, p. 11. Lond. 1669." 



m De Glandularum secementium Structura penitiori, earumque prima Form- 

 atione in Homine atque in AmmaUbus. Lipsise. 1830. 



