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During the last twenty years several investigations have been made into the circulation and metabolism of the human forearm muscles by taking blood samples from the deep branch of the median cubital vein, from which blood flows into the superficial veins above the elbow. Samples have been obtained by a catheter passed upstream into the deep veins of the forearm, or by puncture of the deep branch where it lies under the skin. In all studies neither the position of the tip of the catheter nor the source of the blood have been accurately determined.Bazett, Love, Newton, Eisenberg, Day & Forster (1948) suggest that hand effluent blood can enter the deep forearm veins. Other possible sources of blood in these veins include bone, muscle and skin. There are no major veins draining the skin passing through the deep fascia of the forearm and connecting with the deep veins, though the possibility must be considered that small functional communications may exist.The present observations were made to investigate the location of a catheter introduced through the deep branch of the median cubital vein and the source of the blood samples. The observations fall into three groups: 1, anatomical dissection of veins in the antecubital fossa; 2, measurement of the oxygen content of deep venous blood; and 3, the course taken by substances introduced into a superficial vein near the wrist. METHODSThe veins in the antecubital fossae of twenty-four arms were examined in the dissecting room. In sixteen out of the twenty-four arms, attempts were made to decide, from the anatomical appearance of the venous plexus, the source of the blood in the deep branch of the median cubital

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