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Show 208 Candi/stun. [209] their own coats, and their not being able to sustain the weight of their own fluids; but none of the trunks in the lower extremities were varicose, which makes against this supposition. It is somewhat singular, that in three years we should have had so many extraordinary occurrences in the dead EXPLANATION OF THE PLATES. body in \Vindmill-street; first, we found the viscera of the thorax and abdomen completely traxisposed,* the left subclavian as we usually find it, with the thoracic duct having also crossed over to the right side, whilst the PLATE 1. appearance of the right subclavian, and the second trunk of the absorbents were found in the left side; the recurrent nerves were in the same manner transposed; that the intercostal nerves did not appear to be equally trans- posed, was owing to this circumstance, that there is no mark by which we can distinguish the right intercostal from the left ; then we found the human heart without its pericardium; and, last of all, this amazing trunk of the absorbent system. The reader will observe, that throughout this work I have often confessed ignorance, and said, " Why ibis is, I do 110t1mow."-~I think this confession much better than to attempt an idle hypothesis, which would Convince nobody, and of which Iniyself should hereafter be ashamed. I shall, therefore, conclude with a quotation from Galen, who, in his book on the use of the parts of the human body, expresses himself to the following purpose: " There is a certain length to which we may carry our researches; but if we attainpt to go beyond that, we shall soon convince ourselves, that \\e neither understand our own imbecillity, nor the great ability of him who made ust" To dz Elma; E'YEVE‘M TDIZTMI m smxsipnn; £11757» mmtrliarag tpwpxerim 7.x; THE GENERAL APPEARANCE OF THE HUMAN BODY, SUPPOSED TO BE IN SUCH A MANNER TRANSFARENT AS To ENABLE ME To EXHIBIT WHAT PARTS OF THE ABSORBENT SYSTEM I CHOSE. I DID not think it necessary to put letters of reference on the figure. The left leg represents the cutaneous absorbents in one of my most successful injections of these vessels. The right leg represents the same vessels, as injected this winter by Mr. Wilson, my former pupil, and present assistant. The absorbents on the penis mark only the general appearance. The absorbents of the testicle do very little more. The plexus iliacus externus, with the principal absorbent trunks of the rivht a and left leg within the abdomen, are little more than sketched. The lacteals are seen in plate II. The absorbents ofthe kidney every anatomical reader will recognize at first signt. .. .4 I a 17; an; await/Elm; mm 77.; Awtzp'yz dim/moat. * This transposition ofthe viscera has been published by my colleague in anatomy, Dr. Baillie, in the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, May 1788. The want of the pericardium occurred to him in the moment of opening the thorax, at a public demonstration of the thoracic viscera, antl will also be soon published I once saw the tliorar‘ ‘ duct, previous to this period, as large as the carotid artery ofan adult, or the barrel of. r ordinary writing pen. EXPLANATION The thoracic duct is seen at its origin, on the lower lumbar vertebrae, as described page 167. The absorbents of the stomach shew themselves to every anatomist. The absorbents on the liver are seen exactly as I have described them,page 18.1, &c. The 7 trunks on its upper surface, and at the anterior edge, belong to the diaphragm, as well as to the liver. The absorbents ofthe lungs are of themselves evident. So are those of the heart. The absorbents of the arms have received some addition this winter from Mr. \Vilson's injections. The E e |