‘ 
a VISCERAL BRANCHES OF THE ABDOMINAL AORTA. "oo 
(d) Ovarian branches, numerous, pass to the hilus of the ovary, and thence to the substance 
of the organ. 
(e) A uterine branch is formed by the continuation of the trunk to its anastomoses with the 
uterine branch of the internal iliac. 
THE UNPAIRED OR SINGLE VISCERAL BRANCHES OF THE ABDOMINAL AORTA 
1. The celiac artery or ceeliac axis (a. cceliaca, Figs. 566 and 567) arises from the 
front of the abdominal aorta, immediately below the aortic orifice of the diaphragm 
and between its crura. It is a short but wide vessel which runs almost horizontally 
forwards for a distance of about half-an-inch and then terminates by dividing into 
three large branches—the coronary or gastric, the hepatic, and the splenic. 
Relations.— The short trunk extends from the aorta behind the lesser sac of 
peritoneum, by which it is separated from the stomach, or from the small omentum, 
in front. It runs below the right lobe of the liver, and above the upper border of the 
pancreas and the splenic vein, and it is surrounded by the solar and ceeliac plexuses of the 
[Inferior 
phrenic 
arteries 
Vasa 
brevia 
Lett gastro- 
Cystic artery epiploic artery 
Superior pancreatico- Splenic artery 
duodenal artery Coronary artery 
Gastro-duodenal artery 
Right gastro-epiploic artery Hepatic artery 
Pyloric artery 
Fic. 567.—Tab Ca@iiac AXIS AND ITS BRANCHES. 
sympathetic ; the right semilunar ganglion and Spigelian lobe of the liver are on its right 
side, and the left semilunar ganglion and cardiac end of the stomach are on its left side 
Branches.—(@) The coronary or gastric artery (a. vastrica sinistra) is the 
smallest branch of the celiac axis. It runs obliquely upwards and to the left, 
and reaches the smaller curvature of the stomach close to the cesophagus. It then 
turns sharply forwards, downwards, and to the right, and runs towards the pyloric 
end of the stomach to anastomose with the pyloric branch of the hepatic artery. 
In the first part of its course the artery lies behind the lesser sac of the peritoneum ; 
it then passes into the right pancreatico-gastric fold, and is continued between the 
layers of the small omentum. 
Branches.—(i.) Esophageal (rami cesophagei)—When the artery reaches the stomach a large 
cesophageal branch is given off, which passes upwards on the cesophagus, and gives offsets to it 
which anastomose with cesophageal branches of the thoracic aorta and with branches of the 
inferior phrenic. (ii.) Gastric branches are distributed to both surfaces of the stomach. They 
anastomose with branches of the vasa brevia of the splenic, and with branches of the gastro- 
epiploie arterial arch on the greater curvature of the stomach. 
(b) The splenic artery (a. lienalis, Fig. 567) is the largest branch of the 
