4 ^ 
Mr . Home on the 
so far as the pylorus. To ascertain the truth of this opinion 
is the object of the present Paper. 
The lymphatic vessels of the stomach are numerous, but 
they are equally or more so in the other viscera. Many cir- 
cumstances appeared to render it probable that the spleen is 
the route by which liquids are conveyed. The more I con- 
sidered the subject, new reasons in favour of this opinion 
crowded on my mind, so as almost to enforce conviction, and 
made me set about devising various methods, by which its 
truth or falsehood might be established. 
The first point to be decided was, whether the liquids 
received into the stomach do escape in any considerable 
quantity, when prevented from passing out at the pylorus. 
This was ascertained by the following experiment, made 
October 31, 1807, with the assistance of Mr. Brodie, Mr. 
W. Brande, and Mr. Clift. 
The pylorus of a small dog was secured by a ligature, and 
a few minutes afterwards five ounces by measure, of an in- 
fusion of indigo in water, of the temperature of the atmos- 
phere, were injected by the mouth into the stomach. At the 
end of half an hour the dog became sick, and brought up by 
vomiting 2 ounces of a nearly colourless fluid. The dog was 
immediately killed, and the different parts were examined. 
The pylorus was found completely secured by the ligature, 
so that nothing could pass in that direction The pyloric por- 
tion of the stomach was found empty and contracted ; the 
cardiac portion contained about two ounces of solid contents, 
enveloped in a gelatinous substance, and one ounce of water 
with little or no colour, the indigo being completely separated 
from it, and spread over the surface of the internal mem- 
