A B S 



hips and nntes alfo purfue a twofold courfo ; Tome licnd 

 found the trochanter, and go to the injruin.il glands, whilft 

 •the gix-atcr number enter the pelvis with the gUiloeal and 

 ■fciatic arteries at the Aicro ilchiatic foramina, and go to the 

 internal iliac plexus of glands. Thus we have traced the 

 abforbents of the lower extremities, and of th.e parts of gene- 

 ration, and find them either entering the abdomen, and run- 

 ning along the lower part of that cavity to tiie loins, or 

 afcending through the inferior apertures of the pelvis, and 

 joining the abforbents of th-.U cavity, which wc next pro- 

 ceed to dcfcribe. 



In the pelvis there is a numerous plexus of glands, fituated 

 in the eor.rfe of the internal iliac veifels, and continued to- 

 ward the obturator foramen ; there are alf(3 many abforhent 

 glands lying in the holhnv of the facrum. The abfoiljents 

 of the bladder, after palling through fmall glands, placed by 

 the fide of tliat vifcus, proceed to the internal iliac phxus. 

 The abforbents of the reftum proceeding througli the facral 

 glands pals on to thofe of the loins. The abforbents of the 

 uterus form two fets, according with the blood-vcfTels in tliis 

 refpeft ; thole which accompany the uteriuc veffels pais 

 through glands by the fide ot the vagina, and proceed to 

 the internal iliac plexus. Tliofe which accompany the fper- 

 matic veffels tenninate, as in themale,in the lumbar abforbents. 



The abforbents of the kidney purfue the fame courfe as 

 the renal blood-vefl'els, and terminate in the lumbar glands. 

 The abforbents of the intellincs, commonly called the kic- 

 teals, are extremely numerous on account of the funftion 

 which they have to perform, and abound more in the jeju- 

 num than elfewhere, as the chyle is chiefly abforbed from 

 that inteftine. The courfe of thcfe veffels is through the 

 mefenteiy, where they communicate with glands, the num- 

 ber of which is ftated to be between loo and 150. 



The lafteals have been traced through three or four 

 ferics of thefe glands, and have been denominated vafa 

 laftca primi, fecundi, tertii, et quarti generis. 



Tiie lafteals form one or more large trunks as they ap- 

 proach the fuperior mefenteric artery, which join the 

 thoracic duft. The abforbents of the large inteflines pafs 

 through glands fituated near them, which are very fmall, 

 and not numerous. Thofe v.fTels which arife from the 

 afcending and tranfverfe arch of the colon terminate in. the 

 lafteals near the root of the mefenteiy. Thofe abforbents 

 which arife from the defcending and figmoid flexure of the 

 colon proceed to the lumbar glands and thoracic duft. 

 Having thu8 deferibcd the principal abfoibents that contri- 

 bute to the formation of tlie thoracic du£l, that veflVl may 

 in the next place be attended to. Large trunjcs of abfor- 

 bents may be traced in the courfe of the iliac veffels, con- 

 verging to form this duft ; to thefe are joined the large 

 trunks of the lacteals, and they unite low down upon the 

 loins. ■ In animals, and particularly in dogs, they terminate 

 in a dilated pyriform cell, which is called receptaculum 

 chyli. This appearance, though fometimes obfei-ved, is 

 more frequently wanting in the human fubjeft. At the firft 

 vertebroe of the loins the thoracic du£t gets above the 

 diaphragm, and lies between the vena azygos and aorta on 

 the right fide of the bodies of the vertebra; ; it is fometimes 

 double, and then the fecond branch lies beneath the aorta 

 on the left fide ; at all times large lymphatics are found 

 alfo in this fituation. 



The dimenfions of the thoracic duft gradually Icffen till 

 it has reached the middle of the back, and then again en- 

 large. At about the Sth dorfal vertebra it generally di- 

 vides, and afterwards reunites. Having got above the arch 

 of the aorta, it leaves the fpine, afcending and inclining to 

 the left fide to reach the fujjclavian vein, in which it is to 



A B S 



tenninate. It pa.TcB beyond tjic vein and again dilccnrl*, 

 and empties itfelf into the venous fyftcm at the angle made 

 by the junftion of the internal jugular and axillary vein, ai 

 they unite to fonii the left ful-clavijn vein. At llic tenni- 

 nation of the thoracic duft we find valves, v.hich prevent the 

 blood contained in the veins from pnfling into that vcGll. 



During this courfe, the thoracic dv.ft receives the abfor- 

 bents from various parts of the body, of which v.'e now pro- 

 ceed to give fome account. It may be proper firll to men- 

 tion that there is a fimilar duft on the rigkt I'llc of theh.^ly, 

 generally lefs than half an iixli in leiigth, which tera.iratea 

 in the conefponding angle, made by the junftion of the 

 right internal jugular and. axillai-y veins. This duc^ is 

 formed by the concnurfe of the abforbintsof th« right arm, 

 the right fide of the head, and thofe accompanying the 

 right internal mammary veffels. 



The abforbents of the omentum pafr. through vtr)' frail 

 glands, fituated near the great arch of the llomacli, and 

 there join with thofe belonging to that vifcus. The abfor- 

 bents of the ilomach accompany its arteries ; thcfe lonco- 

 mitant to the left gaftric join thofe of the f)>leen and pan- 

 creas, and temiinate in glands, extending thrmfcives along 

 the pancreas and fplenic veffels. Thofe which arc found ill 

 company with the right gaffric arteiy, pafs like it beneath 

 the duodenum, and tennniate in the fame glands with the 

 deep-feated abfo'.bents of the liver, to which they are con- 

 joined. Thofe which accompany tlic coronary aitciv on 

 the leffer curvature of the ilomach, pafs through glands 

 fituated about that part ; they then in general defcend to 

 the glands beneath the duodenum, and terminate in the 

 thoracic duft ; others, however, may be traced through the 

 cardia to I'le thoracic duft. The abforbents of the fpleen 

 and pancreas, when they arife from thofe vifcera, pafs 

 through glands extending along the fplenic veffels, and arc 

 afterwards continued to the thoracic dufi. The abfoibents 

 of the liver, which are extremely large and nun-.erous, pro- 

 ceed from it3 convex furface through the right and left, and 

 fufpenfory ligaments of that vifcus ; fome of their branches 

 defcend upon the diaphiT.gm, and termir.ate in the tl'.oracic 

 duft near the coehac artery ; others penetrate the diaplivrgm 

 and go to glands on the outfide of the periearditmi, from 

 whence they proceed through the anterior mediallinum to 

 the thoracic duft ; others accompany the internal mamm.ary 

 veffels on the infide of the flernum, and thofe of the rght 

 fide end in the right trunk of the abforbents. Some of th.c 

 abforbents from the interior part of the liver, emerge f om 

 its pollerior edge, and join thofe fuperficial abforbents. 

 The deep-feated abfoibing veffels of the liver ramify in its 

 fubllance hke the vena portac ; they come ov.t where that 

 veffel enters the gland, arid being joined by the fupei-fieial 

 abforbents of the concave furface of the liver, ihey pafs 

 through numerous glands fitriated in the capfula Olifloni, 

 and afterwards join the thoracic dudl. The abforbents of 

 the diaphragm arc numerous, and join with, and augrr.ent 

 thofe large trunks, which arife from the liver and penetrate 

 that mufcle. 15oth thefe fets of veffels are connefted with 

 glands, fituated towards the frt)nt of the thoni ic fur- 

 face of the diaphragm, on each fide of the pericardium. 

 The abforbents of the heart are found in company with its 

 nutrient veffels ; the trunk qf abforbents belonging to the 

 right coronaiT arteiy paffes by the fide of the aorta to a 

 gland near the origin of the right carotid, and terminates in 

 the right trunk of the abforbing fyftem. The abforbents 

 aocompanying the left coronaiy artery, which arc much 

 larger than the fonner, proceed with the pulmonan,' arteiy 

 to glands near the trachea, are there coniointd with the 

 pulmonary abforbents, and empty themfelves into the 



I 2 • thoracic 



