The Minute Anatomy of the Bracliial Plexus. 



429 



9th ran to the hand in two only ; in three of these, and in one other 

 case, it was seen to end in the muscles of the forearm. Of these six 

 cases two were foetal, the rest adult. The 8th always ran to the hand. 

 As a rule then the median in the hand contains only fibres from the 

 6th, 7th, and 8th. 



The palmar cutaneous branch was five times noted, twice coming 

 from the 6th, three times from the 7th. 



The branch to the superficial muscles of the thumb was eleven 

 times dissected. In eight cases it came from the 6th, in three from 

 the undivided 6th and 7th, never from the 8th or 9th. 



The five digital branches* were more variously distributed. The 

 first branch was traced fourteen times, nine times to the 6th, and five 

 times to the united 6th and 7th. 



The second was traced fourteen times, six times to the 6th, five 

 times to a united 6th and 7th, twice to both 6th and 7th, and once to 

 the 7th alone. The third was traced eleven times, twice to the 6th, 

 five times to a united 6th and 7th, once to both 6th and 7th, and 

 thrice to the 7th. The fourth was traced eleven times, once to a 

 united 6th and 7th, three times to the 7th, twice to the 8th, once to a 

 united 8th and 9th, and in four the radial side of the cleft was 

 supplied by the 7th or the united 6th and 7th, and the ulnar side by 

 the lower nerves. The 5th was traced eleven times ; in one the 7th 

 served the radial side of the cleft, the other side being supplied by 

 the united 8th and 9th, in three the 8th alone, in five the undivided 

 8th and 9th, in one both 8th and 9th (the latter taking the ulnar 

 half), and in one the 9th alone supplied it. 



These figures are confusing to read, but the table shows that the 

 first branch is always supplied by the highest nerve, the last always 

 from one of the lowest, and that in no case is there a break in the 

 order of supply from the one to the other. 



No. of case. 



1. 



2. 



3. 



4. 



5. 



13. 



Digital 















brandies. 















1 





6 







6 



6 



2 



|e + 7f 



6 



|6 + 7 



| 6+7 



7 



6 



3 



7 







7 





4 



7,8 + 9 



7,8 + 9 



8 



6+7,8 + 9 



8 + 9 





5 



8 + 9 



8 + 9 



9 



8 + 9 



8 + 9 





* 1st, radial side of thumb ; 2nd, ulnar ditto ; 3rd, radial of index ; 4th, cleft 

 between index and 3rd finger ; 5th, cleft betwten 3rd and 4th finger. 



t The sign + means that the two nerves were not separated. In Case 1 the first 

 three branches arose from the bundle formed by the union of the 6th and 7th, the 

 fourth had two roots, one from the 7th alone, the other from the bundle formed bj 

 the union of the 8th and 9th. 



