132 THE FUNCTION 



kidney. These terminations explain circumstances which have 

 led many to believe in absorption by veins, and even by veins 

 only, and some to believe in the existence of other canals between 

 parts. Such are the extreme rapidity with which fluids taken 

 into the stomach are discharged by urine : the existence in the 

 urine, but not in the contents of the thoracic duct, of certain 

 articles which have been swallowed, as prussiate of potass : and 

 the existence in the blood, and not in the thoracic duct, of 

 others : and again the detection of others in the urine, and not in 

 the blood, saliva, or nasal mucus. 1 In Tiedemann and Gmelin's 

 experiments, among a variety of substances taken, coloured, 

 odorous, or saline, very few could be detected in the chyle,, 

 but many were found in the blood. Raspail says, " The milk 

 of women and other females almost always contains the ve- 

 getable juices of their food unchanged, although these are 

 not to be found, I suspect, in the chyle ; consequently, I 

 should be inclined to admit that unknown connections exist 

 between the breasts and the mucous surface of the stomach. I 

 should say the same respecting the liver, pancreas, and spleen." m 

 Three ounces of diluted alcohol were given by Dr. Magendie to. 

 a dog ; in a quarter of an hour the blood of the animal had a 

 decided smell of alcohol; the lymph (of the thoracic duct) had 

 none. 



Dr. Magendie relates two experiments in which a decoction of 

 nux vomica, introduced into the alimentary canal, produced its 

 usual effects, notwithstanding the thoracic duct was tied and 

 ascertained to be single. In fact, Sir Everard Home, many years 

 ago, found substances to be taken into the circulation and into the 

 urine from the stomach, though the thoracic duct was tied. In 

 a similar experiment, instead of the thoracic duct being tied, Dr. 

 Magendie separated the portion of intestine containing the solution 

 from the body, except in one artery and one vein. In another 

 experiment, not only was every part of a limb separated from the 

 body except the large artery and vein, but even these were 

 cut asunder, quills having been previously introduced into them 

 and fixed to carry on the circulation, and yet some upas plunged 

 into the paw of the animal exerted its peculiar influence, which 

 besides was suspended and permitted at pleasure by compress- 



1 Dr. Wollaston, Phil. Trans., 1811. m I.e. p. 357. 



n Precis de Physid. t. ii. p. 202. sq. Phil. Trans. 1811. 



