1864.] Sympathetic Nerves in Anencephalous Foetuses, 91 



were cut away, and the thorax with its contents washed and immersed in 

 alcohol. The dissection was conducted in that liquid, with the assistance 

 of an ordinary lens magnifying six diameters. 



The pneumogastric nerve having been traced down the neck and thorax, 

 was found to be distributed in the usual way. Its several ganglia, its 

 communications with the sympathetic, and its branches to the larynx, 

 trachea, bronchi, and oesophagus, appeared in no respect different from 

 what is their usual condition in a perfectly formed foetus of the same age. 



Certain ganglionic enlargements formed on the superior laryngeal and 

 recurrent nerves were likewise seen as they have been described by Dr. 

 Robert Lee. Respecting these two principal branches of the pneumogastric 

 in the neck, the author observes that, if they be separately examined, each 

 will be found to be composed of two portions — one descending, the other 

 ascending — which unite and form a single cord to be again divided into 

 many filaments for the supply of various parts. From this he concludes 

 that the pneumogastric is not derived from the brain for otherwise we 

 should expect to find branches from it composed only of descending fibres, 

 whereas we find its two chief branches equally made up of fibres from above 

 and from below. 



The hypoglossal, glossopharyngeal and communicating branch of the 

 accessory of the eighth pair were disposed as usually. 



The sympathetic nerve was also dissected in the neck and thorax, and 

 found to present its usual arrangement ; but, besides its commonly recog- 

 nized ganglia, the author discovered certain other bodies connected with 

 it in the thorax, which he considers to be nervous ganglia, and which he 

 thus describes : — Just beneath the costal pleura some small stellate bodies 

 are seen lying internal to the ganglia of the sympathetic, and at variable 

 distances from them. Their size is that of a small pea, colour pink, and 

 structure apparently nervous. From the circumference of one of them, fine 

 vessels or nervous tubes are seen to radiate and join in some cases the ganglia 

 of the sympathetic. In the angles of the rays are some pigmentary particles 

 of brown colour, not connected, however, with the central mass. Many of 

 these bodies are found in different parts of the thorax ; and there can be no 

 doubt of their nature, from their intimate connexion with the sympathetic." 



The dissection of the nerves supplying the stomach, Hver, and alimentary 

 canal was completed in those viscera removed, with the heart and lungs, 

 from a foetus of six months in which neither brain nor spinal cord were 

 present. 



The stomach had numerous filaments ramifying on its surface, which 

 could be traced down to the lining membrane. Similarly the liver was 

 found to be pervaded with numerous fibres which followed generally the 

 course of the blood-vessels. 



Portions of the intestinal canal of the foetus first described were 

 examined ; so that there is every reason to believe that this foetus was sup- 

 plied with nerves in the neck, thorax, and abdomen in the same manner as 



