An Extract of a Letter of M. Pecquet to M. Carcavi, Concerning a New Discovery of the Communication of the Ductus Thoracicus with the Emulgent Vein: Taken Out of the Journal des Scavans, N. VII. 1667

An Extract Of a Letter of M. Pecquet to M. Carcavi, concerning a New Discovery of the Communication of the Ductus Thoracicus with the Emulgent Vein: Taken out of the Journal des Scavans, N. VII. 1667. I cannot forbear longer to inform you of the Experiments, which M. Perrault, M. Gayant, and I, made last Night upon the Corps of a Woman, that died some few dayes after she was brought to bed. Our Design was to continue the Discovery of the Vessels, that carry the Chyle to the Breasts, of which I have indicated the Way, pag. 134. of the Second Edition of my Anatom. Experiments, printed 1654. But the Body being not fit for that, we referred the search thereof to another time; and we have had the good fortune to make another Discovery, which may prove not less useful to Physick; it is the Communication of the Milky Channel, now call'd the Ductus Thoracicus, with the Emulgent Vein. The Experiments were these: M. Gayant having discovered the Ductus Thoracicus upon the 7th and 8th of the Vertebra's descending from the Back, inserted a Quill into the said Ductus, and having tied it upon the Quill, he did blow into it: whereupon the Ductus was fill'd with wind from the Quill unto the Subclavial Vein. This wind issued at the Ascending Cava, which had been cut, when he, whose the Corps was, had lifted up the heart to make the demonstration of it; M. Gayant would tie this Cava, but it was cut so short, that the Ligature could not hinder the wind to issue out of it; which was the cause, that it could not be thrust as far as the Breasts. I would supply this defect, by compressing with my finger that place of the Vein, at which the wind came out (which was at about the third Vertebra, descending from the Back) and M. Gayant having blown... blown afresh into it, I compressed with my fingers the Vena Cava and the Ductus Thoracicus together; but the wind, that was thrust into this Channel, shewed us, that it had another way to escape. And indeed we saw as often as we did blow, that the Emulgent Vein was on the left side filled with wind, and that thereupon the body of the Vena Cava also filled itself from the Emulgent unto the Iliacus. This wind seem'd to us to come from the Left Kidney, and to insinuate itself into the Emulgent Vein, and thence into the Cava. The Right Kidney had been removed, so that we could say nothing of its communication with the said Ductus: That shall be for another time. The Question was made, Whether the wind, that seem'd to enter into the Emulgent, and the Cava, did there enter indeed; or, whether it did not slide, betwixt the proper coat of this Vein, and that common one, which comes to it from the Peritoneum? This Question did oblige us to slit the Cava at the place of the Emulgent; and then blowing into the Ductus Thoracicus, we saw, that the wind, which had swelled the Emulgent, did escape at the opening, just now made in the Cava. This Experiment made us judge, there was a communication of the Ductus Thoracicus with the Left Kidney, or at least with the Emulgent Vein, in the Body of this Woman. And to clear it the more, we made the following Experiment. 2. We lifted with the hand the Lungs, that filled the left Cavity of the Thorax, and having cleansed this Cavity with a Spunge, M. Gayant did blow into the Ductus Thoracicus, whilst I compressed the Vein and the Ductus with my fingers upon the third Vertebra, descending from the Back: And we saw the wind insinuate itself under the Pleura, by a trace, which raised it suddenly as often as we did blow. This trace appeared from the 4th Vertebra descending unto the Diaphragme, and made us conclude, that there was under the Pleura a Channel of Commerce coming from the Ductus Thoracicus, and passing to the Emulgent Vein by this Cavity of the Thorax. We could not doubt, but that this Channel, which passed under the Pleura, went as far as to the Kidney, because we saw, that the wind did get in on the side of the Kidney into the Emulgent Vein, and came out at the hole of the the Cava, that had been made in the first Experiment. We perceived, that this Channel of Communication came from the Ductus Thoracicus, at the place of the fourth Vertebra of the Back. But to be the surer of it, we made the following Experiment. 3. I compressed with my fingers the Ductus upon the fifth descending Vertebra of the Back; and M. Gayant having blown into the Quill, which was upon the seventh, the wind passed not to the Kidney, nor to the Emulgent Vein. Which made us conclude, that the Communication was not beneath the fifth Vertebra. Then I compressed with my fingers the Ductus Thoracicus and the Vena Cava upon the third descending Vertebra; and the Emulgent swelled, when M. Gayant blowed into the Quill: Which gave us more strongly to believe, That the place of the Ductus Thoracicus, whence goes the Channel of Commerce with the Emulgent, was between the third and fifth Vertebra of the Back, as the wind had informed us in the second Experiment. To be yet more assured thereof, M. Gayant split the Ductus Thoracicus upon the third Vertebra of the Back, and having blown into it at the Quill, the wind came out at the Axillary Vein, and the Ascending Cava; but the Emulgent swelled not at all. We made a fourth Experiment, which seemed very curious to us, and will not be miss to relate here, viz. 4. M. Gayant having blown into the Aorta, whereof all the branches, that had been cut, were tied up, it swelled immediately, and the Emulgent Artery grew tumid at the same time: but the wind, that was protruded thorow the Emulgent Artery into the Left Kidney, returned not into the Emulgent Vein; which taught us, that the Blood often passeth, where the Air does not. We have an evident proof of it in the Kidney, since that the Blood of the Emulgent Artery, which goes to the Kidney, returns thorow the Emulgent Vein into the Vena Cava, pursuant to the Rules of the Circulation of the Blood; and that the Air propelled thorow the Emulgent Artery into the Kidney, comes not back thorow the Emulgent Vein into the Vena Cava. We have yet another proof thereof in the Lungs, from the Experiment, we made of it in the Assembly upon the Corps of a Woman, that was there dissected in the beginning of February last; where we saw, that the Air, which was propelled thorow a Quill into the Vena Arteriosa (which is the Artery of the Lungs) returned not thorow the Arteria Venosa (which is the Vein thereof) into the Left Ventricle of the Heart; though by the Circulation, the Blood pas there with ease; and even Milk, which having been let in by this Vena Arteriosa, returned easily thorow the Arteria Venosa, into the Left Ventricle of the Heart. I draw no consequence from these Trials, as to the Channel of Communication; that passes from the Ductus Thoracicus into the Emulgent Vein; because one ought to infer nothing from one only Body. When we shall be certain, that this Channel of Commerce is found in Men, as well as we have found it in this Woman, we shall then judge better of it. We are therefore going to make frequent Operations upon divers Animals, to see whether we shall there meet with any thing like it, to the end we may impart it to the Publick. A Description Of several Kinds of Granaries, as those of London, of Dantzick, and in Muscovy. Concerning the Granaries of London, the Inquisitive Dr. Merret, (who indeed occasion'd the Inquiry into the rest, as a thing, which many were desirous to be informed about, for the better Preservation of Grain, in times of its Plenty) gives this Account of them. All the Twelve Companies of London, and some other Companies and Private Persons, have their Granaries at the Bridge-House in Southwark (where are a Justice of the Peace, a Steward, and two Masters.) These Granaries are built on two sides of an Oblong; one whereof stands North and South, and is near 100 yards long, whose Lettice-windows respect North-East; the other side may be about 50 yards long; the Windows look to the North,