3 
THE PERITONEUM. 999 
stomach, intestines, and other abdominal viscera—clothing them all—to the pelvis. 
In like manner, when traced laterally from the anterior wall, the membrane will be 
found to line the sides of the cavity, and passing backwards to clothe the posterior 
abdominal wall, and the viscera lying upon it (Fig. 673, B). 
It should be pointed out 
that all the abdominal viscera are either directly fixed by connective tissue to the 
posterior abdominal wall, or suspended by blood-vessels from it. 
the peritoneum is re- 
flected directly from 
the wall on to the 
viscera; 1n the latter 
it runs along the 
blood-vessels to reach 
the viseera, which it 
clothes, and then re- 
turns to the wall on 
the opposite sides of 
the vessels, which it 
thus encloses in a 
fold. 
Whilst the main 
sac of the peritoneum 
lies in front of the 
various abdominal 
viscera, covering 
them over and dip- 
ping down between 
them, it should be 
mentioned that there 
is a special cdiverti- 
culum derived from 
firs oreat'' sac,” 
which turns in be- 
hind the stomach, 
and covers its pos- 
terior surface ; this is 
known as the lesser 
or smaller sac, and 
it will be deserihbed in 
detail later on. The 
aperture through 
which one sac com- 
municates with the 
other is termed the 
foramen of Winslow. 
In passing from 
organ to organ, or 
from these to the 
abdominal wall, the 
peritoneum forms 
numerous folds, which are divided according 
classes :— 
In the former case 
Round ligament of liver 
Faleiform ligament 
Foramen of Winslow 
Lesser omentum (cut) 
yale < 
Stomach Portal vein 
Gastro- 
splenic 
omentum 
Lieno-renal 
ligament Hight kidney 
Small intestine 
Ascending colon 
Descending colon 
673.—DIAGRAMMATIC TRANSVERSE SECTIONS OF ABDOMEN, to show the 
peritoneuin on transverse tracing. A, at level of foramen of Winslow ; 
B, lower down. In A note, one of the vasa brevia arteries passing to 
the stomach between the layers of the gastro-splenic omentum, and also 
the foramen of Winslow leading into the lesser sac which lies behind the 
stomach. 
Fra. 
to their connexions into three 
(a) Omenta are folds of peritoneum which pass from the stomach to other 
abdominal organs. 
They are three in number, namely: (1) The great or gastro- 
colic omentum, which hangs down like an apron from the great curvature of 
the stomach, and passes to the transverse colon, connecting this latter, very loosely, 
however, to the stomach; (2) the lesser or gastro-hepatic omentum, which extends 
from the lesser curvature of the stomach to the liver; and (3) the gastro-splenic 
omentum, which passes from the stomach to the spleen. , 
(b) Mesenteries are folds of peritoneum which unite portions of the intestine to 
