Some observations on the structure of the mesenteric glands in the balaenoptera rostrata / [John Reid].

  • John Reid
Date:
[1835]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Some observations on the structure of the mesenteric glands in the balaenoptera rostrata / [John Reid]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Ij~&£ o' j j EXTRACTED FROM THE SELECT COMMUNICATIONS OF THE EDINBURGH MEDICO-CHIRURGICAL SOCIETY (From the Edi?i. Med. and Surg. Journal, Nos. 122 and 123.7 1. Some Observations on the Structure of the Mesenteric Glands in the Balaenoptera rostrata. By Dr John Reid, President of the Royal Physical Society of Edinburgh. Dr Knox having lately purchased a young whale, he very kindly allowed me a considerable portion of the mesentery, cut close to the spine, for the purpose of repeating the experiments of Mr Abernethy upon the organs in the whale that correspond to the mesenteric glands, as related in the Philosophical Tran¬ sactions of London for 1796. This animal was a female, about ten feet in length, belonging to the Balaenoptera rostrata of na¬ turalists, and had been dead about a fortnight (February.) An injection, composed of brown spirit varnish, white spirit varnish, and turpentine varnish, mixed in the usual propor¬ tions, and coloured with vermilion, was first thrown into the arteries, and the same materials coloured yellow into the veins. Both injections succeeded well, and very minute vessels were seen ramifying in all directions upon the surface of the intes¬ tines and mesenteric glands. The mesenteric glands appeared a little increased in size after the injection had been thrown in; but on handling them, the materials injected could not be felt to be collected into masses in their interior, as described by Mr Abernethy, except in one case, and this was evidently depen¬ dent upon extravasation. The lacteals were next attempted to be injected. These were more easily found than could have been expected, as the mesentery was completely void of fat, and all the small arteries and veins were filled with injection, A
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