J 74* DIRECT PASSAGE PROM THE STOMACH TO THE SLOO0. 



mach into the the cardiac portion of the stomach, so as to arrrive at the cir* 



* culationof the blood without goin^throngh the thoracic duct, 



the only known channel by which liquids can arrive there i 



the present experiments are brought to confirm that opi- 



6ut not nion ; but in stating them, I wish to correct an errour, I wa« 



i-Aeea. '^^^ mto, in belieifjng that the spleen was the channel^ by 



which they are conveyed. 

 The passage At the time I made my former communications*, I wai 



bv^vin^ the" t'onscious, that the facts 1 had ascertained were only sufficient 

 thoracic duct, to open a new field of inquiry ; but as 1 might never be able 

 to make a farther progress in an investigation, beset with so 

 many difficulties, I thought it right to put them on record. 

 Since that time I have lost no opportunity of devising new 

 experiments to elucidate this subject ; and the circumstance 

 of Mr. Brodie, the assistant of my philosophical as well as 

 professional labours, having tied the thoracic duct in some 

 experiments^ which will come before the Society, suggested 

 to me the idea, that, if the thoracic duct was tied, and pro- 

 per experiments made, there could be no difficulty in ascer- 

 taining whether there was any other channel between the 

 stomach and the circnlation of the blood. 



With this view I instituted the following experiment, 

 which was made on the 29th of September, 1810, by Mr. 

 Brodie, assisted by Mr. William Brande and Mr. Gatcombe. 

 I was unavoidably prevented irom being present during the 

 time of the experiment. 

 Exp, 1, on a Exp. 1. A ligature was passed round the thoracic duct of 

 rabbit. a rabbit, just before it enters at the junction between the 



left jugular and subclavian veins: an outice of strong infu- 

 sion of rhubarb was then injected into the stomach. In three 

 quarters of an hour some urine was voided, in which rhu- 

 barb was distinctly detected, by the addition of potash. An 

 hour and a quarter after the injection of the ihubarb theani- 

 mal was killed : a dram and half of urine was found in the 

 bladder highly tinged with rhubarb, and the usual alteration 

 of colour took place on the^ addition of potash. The coats 

 of the thoracic duct had given way opposite the middle dor- 

 sal vertebra, and nearly an ounce of chyle was found effused 

 into the cavity of the thorax, beside a considerable quantity 



♦ See Journ. vol. XX, p. 374, and XXI, 10*. 



in 



