DIRECT PASSAGE FROM THE STOMACH TO THE BLOOD. 177 



they formed a common trunk with the absorbents from the 

 neck and a~xilla; this trunk was found included in the liga- 

 ture. The thoracic duct was moderately distfncled with a 

 mixture of chyle and lymph; in tracing it upwards, aa 

 opening was seen in it immediately below the Hgature, 

 through which the contents readily passed out when pres» 

 sure was made on the duct: above this opening the duct 

 was completely secured by the ligature. Nearly a dram of 

 the fluid contained in the thoracic duct was collected and 

 tested by potash, but there did not appear to be any im- 

 pregnation of rhubarb. 



Exp. 5. The last experiment was repeated on another Exp. 5, on a 

 dog, on the 2Jst of January, 1811, with the assistance of*^°S* 

 Mr. Brodie, Mr. W". Brande, Mr. Clift, and Mr. Gatcombe. 

 The dog was killed an hour after the thoraicic duct and lym- 

 phatic trunk had been secured, and the infusion of rhubarb 

 had been injected into the stomach. 



In tying the right lymphatic trunk, a lymphatic vessel 

 from the thorax going to join it was wounded, from which 

 chyle flowed out in considerable quantity during the whole 

 time of the' experiment; a short time before the dog was 

 killed some of it was collected, but on testing it with potash 

 no rhubarb was detected in it. 



The urine was found impregnated with rhubarb, as was 

 also the bile from the gall bladder; but both in a less de- 

 gree than in the last experiment. The lacteal vessels and 

 mesenteric glands were much distended with chyle ; and on 

 cutting into the glands chyle flowed out in considerable 

 quantity. Some of this was collected and tested with pot- 

 ash, but showed no evidence of rhubarb being contained in 

 it. The thoracic duct was much distended ; it was traced 

 to the ligature, and was found to be completely secured. 



Lymphatic vessels from the right side of the posterior me- 

 diastinum were seen extending towards the ligature, that 

 had been tied on that side; they were nearly empty; and 

 the trunk formed by the junction of these with the lympha- 

 tic veysels from the right axilla, and from the right side of 

 the neck, was seen distinctly included in the ligature. 



While Mr. Brodie was tracing the thoracic duct, Mf. Some rhubarb 

 William Brande was making an infusion of the spleen, and ^''J"** *" **^* 



Vol. 1S:XX.— Nov. 1811. N showed '^^*"' 



