230 ANATOMY OF THE RABBIT 



The chief nerves of the coeliac plexus accompany the branches 

 of the artery to the stomach where they are associated with the terminal 

 ramifications of the vagus (see below). These two represent respectively 

 the mutually antagonistic sympathetic and parasympathetic divisions 

 of the nervous system, the latter exciting the former inhibiting gastric 

 activity. 



In dissecting the following arteries, care must be taken 

 to avoid injuring the bile duct and the portal vein. 



(c) The hepatic artery (a. hepatica), the continuation of the 

 coeliac, passes forward and to the right, giving oH small 

 branches to the pancreas. Its first main branch is the 

 gastroduodenal artery (a. gastroduodenalis). The latter 

 is distributed chiefly to the first portion of the intestine as 

 the superior pancreaticoduodenal artery (a. pancreatico- 

 duodenalis superior), but a recurrent branch, the right 

 gastroepiploic artery (a. gastroepiploica dextra), traverses 

 the greater omentum to the greater curvature where it 

 anastomoses with the left gastroepiploic artery. 



After giving ofT the gastroduodenal artery, the hepatic 

 enters the lesser omentum on its way to the liver. A small 

 branch, the right gastric artery (a. gastrica dextra) passes 

 to the pylorus and anastomoses across the lesser curvature 

 with a branch of the left gastric artery. 



The veins of the stomach and spleen are tributaries of the portal 

 vein. Accompanying the branches of the splenic artery are the tribu- 

 taries of the splenic vein (v. lienalis), including the left gastro- 

 epiploic vein. Accompanying the branches of the left gastric artery 

 are the tributaries of the coronary vein (v. coronaria ventriculi). 

 The splenic and coronary veins enter the left wall of the portal vein 

 through a short common trunk. 



On the right side of the stomach, the superior pancreaticoduo- 

 denal vein is united with the right gastroepiploic vein to form a 

 short trunk, the gastroduodenal vein (v. gastroduodenalis), which 

 enters the right wall of the portal vein. The left gastroepiploic vein 

 receives tributaries from the dorsal surface of the pyloric antrum. 



The abdominal portion of the tenth cranial, or vagus 

 nerve (n. vagus) may be traced from the oesophagus to the 

 surface of the stomach. The left cord appears on the left 

 wall of the oesophagus ; crossing the ventral surface of the 

 latter obliquely to the right, it ramifies on the ventral 



