which lies between, and unites, the muscular and mucous coats (Fig. 679). 
STRUCTURE OF THE STOMACH. 
1009 
The submucous coat (tela submucosa) is a layer of strong but loose connective tissue, 
It is more 
loosely attached to the former and more closely to the latter coat, and it forms a bed 
in which the vessels and nerves break up before entering the 
mucous membrane. 
moderate consistence. 
mortem digestion. 
organ. 
The mucous coat (tunica mucosa), if examined in the fresh 
state soon after death, is of a reddish gray colour and of 
When examined some time after death, 
the colour turns to a darker gray, and the whole membrane 
becomes softer and more pulpy. 
and firmer in the pyloric than in the cardiac portion, and is 
thinnest at the fundus, where it often shows signs of post- 
When the stomach is empty all three outer P, 
coats, Which are extensile, contract, whilst the inextensile 
mucous coat, as a result of its want of elasticity, is thrown 
into numerous prominent folds or rugw, which project into the 
interior and, as it were, occupy the cavity of the contracted 
These are, in general, longitudinal in direction, with 
numerous cross branches, and they are largest and most 
numerous along the great curvature. 
It is thicker (over 
the stomach is distended. 
When the surface of the mucous coat is examined in a 
fresh stomach, it is seen to be marked out into a number of small, slightly elevated, 
polygonal areas (areze gastricee) by numerous linear depressions ; the mucous membrane 
is consequently said to be mammillated (Fig. 682, A). 
from 1 to 6 mm. in diameter, are beset with numerous small pits (foveole gastricee, about 
mm. wide), which are the mouths of the gastric glands, and they are so closely placed 
7) 
_ 
gastric glands, 
* between two 
Rug 
Mammillee 
Mouths of 
20e 
Fy 
SOY RO Ne RY Ape 
SHR CSUs Coa enous: 
with gland 
tubes at 
bottom 
Depression 
© 
: 
mammille 
iy 5 
‘Bete Lee aah 
Mouth of a @ We Qov es - 
vastric gland =fee a Ss) i ole 
cr ht SPOR COON Nae Ee NaN: 
Fia. 
682.—THE Mucous MEMBRANE OF SromacH. A, Natural 
size; B, Magnified 25 diameters. In A the ruge and the 
mammillated surface are shown. In B the gland mouths 
(foveole gastrice), with the gland tubes leading off from some 
of them, and the ridges separating the mouths (plice villose) 
are seen, 
2 mm.) 
They disappear when 
emmen—— YLORUS 
STOMACH 
DUODENUM 
681.—DiaGRAM TO SHOW 
FORMATION OF PyLorws. 
Peritoneum ; L, Longi- 
tudinal layer of muscular 
fibres; C, Circular layer ; 
M, Mucous membrane; VY, 
Villi. It will be seen that 
the pyloric narrowing is due 
practically entirely to a 
eradual thickening of the 
circular muscular fibres, 
which stops abruptly at the 
pyloric orifice. 
EG. 
These little areas, which measure 
that the amount of surface 
separating them is reduced (par- 
ticularly in the pyloric portion, 
where the gland mouths are 
widest) to a series of elevated 
ridges (plicee villosze) resembling 
villi on section. Although the 
vland mouths cannot be seen 
with the naked eye, a very slight 
magnification is suficient to show 
them clearly; it is also possible 
to see the gland tubes leading 
off from the bottom of each 
(Fig. 682, B). 
Blood-vessels.—The arteries of 
the stomach are all derived ulti- 
mately from the cceliac axis. The 
coronary arises from this trunk direct. 
Having reached the lesser curvature 
and given off an cesophageal branch, 
it divides into two large branches, 
which run, one on each side, along 
this curvature, and join below with 
two similarly disposed arteries de- 
rived from the pyloric branch of 
the hepatic. From the two arches 
thus formed, four or five large 
branches pass to each surface of the 
stomach, and soon pierce the mus 
cular coat. Along the great curva- 
ture several smaller branches reach 
the stomach from the right and left 
gastro-epiploic arteries, which are 
branches respectively of the gastro-duodenal and the splenic, and run in the great omentum 
close to its attachment to the stomach. 
Finally, four or five vasa brevia, branches of the 
splenic, are distributed to the fundus of the stomach, which they reach by passing forwards 
» between the layers of the gastro-splenic omentum. 
At first the arteries he beneath the peri- 
toneum ; very soon, however, they pierce the muscular coat, which they supply, and reaching 
the submucosa, break up to form a close network of vessels. 
64 
From these arise numerous small 
“7 
