LYMPHATIC SYSTEM OF THE OX AND SHEEP 731 



(3) The left ruminal lymph glands (Lgg. ruminales sinistrse) are inconstant. 

 One or two may be present m the left groove of the rumen. Their afferent vessels 

 come from the rxmien, and the efferent vessels go to the anterior or the right ruminal 

 glands. 



(4) The anterior ruminal glands (Lgg. ruminales craniales) are deeply situated 

 in the anterior groove of the rumen. They average four or five in number and about 

 half an inch (ca. 1.5 cm.) in length. They receive lymph vessels from the rumen 

 and from the left ruminal glands, and their efferent vessels go to the right ruminal 

 and atrial glands. 



(5) The reticular lymph glands (Lgg. reticulares) are situated on the reticulum 

 above and below its junction with the omasum. They receive afferent vessels 

 chiefly from the reticulum and the adjacent parts of the omasum and abomasum. 

 Their efferent vessels go chiefly to the atrial lymph glands. 



(6) The omasal lymph glands (Lgg. omasicse) lie on the omasum chiefly along 

 the course of the dorsal omasal vessels. Their afferent vessels come from the 

 omasum, and the efferent vessels go chiefly to the atrial lymph glands. 



(7) The dorsal abomasal lymph glands (Lgg. abomasicae dorsales) form a series 

 along the lesser curvature of jthe^ abomasum. They receive afferent vessels from 

 the abomasum, duodenum, and ventral part of the omasum. The efferent vessels 

 go chiefly in the lesser omentum to the hepatic lymph glands, but some from the 

 anterior part of the series go to the omasal and reticular glands. 



(8) The ventral abomasal lymph glands (Lgg. abomasicae ventrales) comprise 

 a few nodes in the fat along the greater curvature of the pyloric part of the abo- 

 masum or in the omentum an inch or two distant from the abomasum.^ They 

 receive afferent vessels from the abomasum and the duodenum and their efferent 

 vessels go to the hepatic lymph glands. 



The mesenteric lymph glands (Lgg. mesentericse) comprise a large number of 

 nodes which receive lymph from the intestine. The following groups may be 

 recognized, although the distinction is in part conventional. 



(1) The duodenal lymph glands (Lgg. duodenales) are small nodes in the 

 anterior part of the mesoduodenum. They receive afferent vessels from the duo- 

 denum and their efferent vessels go to the hepatic lymph glands. 



(2) The jejuno-ileal lymph gland$i(Lgg. jejuno-ileales) lie in the p&rt of the 

 mesentery to which the coils of the jejuno-ileum are attached. They vary in 

 number from ten to fifty, and in length from about a quarter of an inch to four feet 

 (ca. 0.5-120 cm.) . As a rule, the long narrow glands are in the peripheral part of the 

 mesentery, while numerous small nodes are scattered throughout the mesenterj^ 

 and extend centrally to the coils of the colon. Their afferent vessels come from the 

 mesenteric part of the small intestine. The efferent vessels converge to form a 

 large common efferent vessel. This receives efferent vessels of the csecal and colic 

 lymph glands, runs upward and forward on the right side of the spiral mass of the 

 colon, and reaches the ventral face of the posterior vena cava just behind the an- 

 terior mesenteric artery; here it unites with the common efferent vessel of the 

 gastric Ijonph glands to form the intestinal trunk. 



(3) The csecal lymph glands (Lgg. csecales), usually not more than two or three 

 in number, are situated along the attached surface of the caecum. Their tf erent 

 vessels come from the caecum and ileum. The efferent vessels go to cohc or ileal 

 glands or to the common efferent vessel. 



(4) The colic lymph glands (Lgg. colicae) are situated in part superficially on 

 the right side of the spiral mass of the colon, in part deeply between the coils. One 

 or two are constantly present on the initial part of the colon, near the termination 

 of the ileum. The afferent vessels come from the colon chiefly, but some of the 



1 These glands are often difficult to find in the large mass of fat in which they are usually 

 embedded; they are not always present. 



