STRUCTURE AND USES OF THE SPLEEN. 375 



has reached the pyloric portion is usually of one uniform 

 consistence, so that the fluids, beyond what are necessary 

 for digestion, would appear to be carried out of the sto- 

 mach, without ever reaching so far as the pylorus. To 

 ascertain the truth of this opinion is the object of the pre- 

 sent paper. 



The lymphatic vessels of the stomach are numerous, but Lymphatics ap 

 they are equally or more so in the other viscera. Many cir- {J thir'^^'^'^^* 

 cumstances appeared to render it probable, that the spleen is Perhaps by the 

 the route by which liquids are conveyed. The more I con-^^ ^^"' 

 sidered the subject, new reasons in favour of this opinion 

 crowded on my mind, so as almost to enforce conviction, and 

 made me set about devising various methods, by which its 

 truth or falsehood might be established. 



The first point to be decided was, whether the liquids F^u'tls can 

 received into the stomach do escape in any considerable stomach -wi^ 

 quantity, when prevented from passing out at the pylorus, out passing the 



This was ascertained by the following experiment, made 

 October 31, 1807, with the assistance of Mr. Brodie, Mr. 

 W. Brande, and Mr. Clift. 



The pylorus of a small dog was secured by a ligature, and "^^'^ proved on 

 a few minutes afterwards five ounces by measure of an in- 

 fusion of indigo in water, of the temperature of the atmos- 

 phere, were injected by the mouth into the stomach. At the 

 end of half an hour the dog became sick, and brought up by 

 vomiting 2 ounces of a nearly colourless fluid. The dog was 

 immediately killed, and the different parts were examined. 

 The pylorus was found completely secured by the ligature, 

 so that nothing could pass in that direction. The pyloric por- 

 tion of the stomach was found empty and contracted; the 

 cardiac portion contained about two ounces of solid con- 

 tents, enveloped in a gelatinous substance, and one ounce 

 of water with little or no colour, the indigo being com- 

 pletely separated from it, and spread over the surface of 

 the internal membrane. Of the five ounces of water 

 thrown into the stomach, two were brought up by vomit- 

 ing, and one only remained ; two ounces had therefore 

 escaped in the course of half an hour. As the stomach 

 contained two ounces of solid food at the time the experi- 

 ment was made, it is reasonable to suppose, that there was 



also 



