﻿ARTICLE 
  III 
  

  

  On 
  the 
  Visceral 
  Anatomy 
  of 
  the 
  Python 
  (Cuvier), 
  described 
  by 
  Dau&in 
  

   as 
  the 
  Boa 
  Reticulata. 
  By 
  J. 
  P. 
  Hopkinson, 
  M.D. 
  and 
  J. 
  Pan- 
  

   coast, 
  M.D. 
  Read 
  before 
  the 
  American 
  Philosophical 
  Society 
  

   November 
  2, 
  1832. 
  

  

  The 
  head 
  having 
  been 
  previously 
  removed, 
  and 
  with 
  it, 
  the 
  com- 
  

   mencement 
  of 
  the 
  cesophagus, 
  the 
  account 
  of 
  that 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  animal 
  

   will 
  necessarily 
  be 
  wanting. 
  

  

  The 
  whole 
  alimentary 
  canal 
  admits 
  of 
  two 
  divisions. 
  The 
  first, 
  

   comprising 
  the 
  oesophagus 
  and 
  the 
  stomach, 
  extends 
  as 
  low 
  down 
  as 
  the 
  

   right 
  capsula 
  renalis, 
  and 
  is 
  above 
  five 
  feet 
  in 
  length. 
  The 
  second 
  

   division 
  is 
  two 
  feet 
  long, 
  may 
  be 
  considered 
  to 
  represent 
  the 
  small 
  and 
  

   large 
  intestines, 
  and 
  ends 
  at 
  the 
  anus. 
  These 
  two 
  divisions 
  are 
  con- 
  

   nected 
  by 
  a 
  smaller 
  transverse 
  canal, 
  which 
  is 
  the 
  pylorus. 
  The 
  oeso- 
  

   phagus, 
  at 
  its 
  commencement, 
  is 
  sufficiently 
  capacious 
  to 
  admit 
  both 
  

   hands 
  expanded. 
  In 
  structure, 
  it 
  is 
  very 
  thin, 
  dilatable, 
  semi-trans- 
  

   parent, 
  and, 
  when 
  left 
  undistended, 
  collapses 
  by 
  its 
  elasticity. 
  It 
  passes 
  

   down, 
  at 
  first 
  on 
  the 
  middle 
  line 
  of 
  the 
  body, 
  having 
  the 
  trachea 
  closely 
  

   attached 
  to 
  it 
  in 
  front 
  : 
  before 
  reaching 
  the 
  heart 
  it 
  begins 
  to 
  incline 
  

   to 
  the 
  left, 
  and 
  is 
  then 
  placed 
  between 
  the 
  left 
  lung 
  and 
  the 
  parietes 
  

   of 
  the 
  body. 
  The 
  structure 
  gradually 
  becomes 
  more 
  dense 
  by 
  the 
  

   addition 
  of 
  delicate 
  muscular 
  fibres. 
  A 
  contraction 
  is 
  found 
  just 
  above 
  

   the 
  upper 
  end 
  of 
  the 
  liver, 
  where 
  it 
  is 
  embraced, 
  in 
  the 
  flexuous 
  course 
  

   vol. 
  v. 
  — 
  2 
  F 
  

  

  