Medical Dictionary
Main Entry:
Whar·ton's duct Pronunciation:
'(h)wort-&nz- Function:
noun : the duct of the submandibular gland that opens into the mouthon a papilla at the side of the frenulum of the tongue
Wharton,
Thomas (1614–1673), British anatomist. Wharton was a physician attached to St. Thomas's Hospital and isremembered as one of the very few physicians to remain on duty while London was ravaged by the great plague of 1665. A noted anatomist, he provided the most complete description of the glands up tothat time. In 1650 he described the soft connective tissue that forms the matrix of the umbilical cord and is now known as Wharton's jelly. In 1656 he published a work describing many glands of thebody, including the submandibular gland for the conveyance of saliva. He is credited with discovering the gland's duct.
