8oo 



HUMAN ANATOMY. 



gastric or more frequently of the superior mesenteric artery.. It has also been described as 

 arising from the right renal artery. Further, by the enlargement of anastomoses, associated 

 with a i^ersistence of the normal main stem, accessory hepatic arteries from the gastric or 

 superior mesenteric, or both, may be present, and an accessory stem may arise from the aorta. 

 Great variation occurs in the point at which the artery divides into its two terminal 

 branches. This division may occur as low down as the origin of the gastro-duodenal branch, 

 so that in its course up the free edge of the lesser omentum the artery may be represented by 

 two parallel stems which pass respectively, to the right and left lobes of the liver. Indeed, not 

 only may there be a precocious division into the two terminal branches, but each of these may 

 again divide, almost at their origin, into two or more stems, so that a number of parallel vessels, 

 one of which usually represents the cystic branch, ascend to the liver. Occasionally the cystic 

 branch or an accessory- cystic branch arises from the gastro-duodenal, and this latter vessel may 

 arise from the coeliac axis, while the liver and gall-bladder are supplied by a stem which arises 

 from the superior mesenteric (Brewer). 



(r) The Splenic Artery. — The splenic artery (a. lienalis) (Figs. 720, 721) 

 is the largest branch of the coeliac axis. It passes in a more or less tortuous course 

 over the left crus of the diaphragm and along the upper border of the pancreas, lying 

 behind the posterior wall of the lesser sac of the peritoneum. It crosses the anterior 



Fig. 721. 



Under surface of left lobe of liver 

 CEsophageal branches 



Phrenic arteries > 



Abdominal aorta 



Coeliac axis 



Cystic branch of hepatic 



Common bile duct 



End of renal vein in vena cava 



Hepatic artery 



Portal ^in 



Gastro-duodenal artery 



Duodenum 

 Splenic vein 

 Superior mesenteric vein 

 Right gastro-epiploic artery 

 Superior pancreatico- 

 duodenal artery 



Inferior pancreatico- 

 duodenal artery 



Ascending colon 

 Middle colic 



Superior mesenteric artery 

 Splenic artery 



Transverse colon, turned up 

 Left kidney 



Spleen 



1-eft gastro-epiploic 

 artery 



Branch to great omentum 



Pancreatica magna 

 Pancreas 



— - Descending colon 

 Duodenum 



Right colic 



Ileo-colic 



Coeliac a.xis and its branches : stomach has been removed and 

 transverse colon turned up. 



surface of the left suprarenal capsule and the upper part of the left kidney, and, 

 passing between the two layers of the lieno-renal ligament, reaches the hilum of the 

 spleen, where it breaks up into a number of branches which pass to the substance of 

 that organ. 



Branches. — [aa) Pancreatic branches (rami pancreatici) are given off from the splenic artery 

 throughout the entire extent of its course along the upper border of the pancreas and supply 

 that organ. One branch, much larger than the others (a pancreatica magna), arises at about 

 the junction of the middle and left thirds of the artery and. entering the substance of the gland 

 obliquely, passes from left to right along with the pancreatic duct. 



{bb) Short gastric branches (aa. gastricae breves), variable in number, are given off either 

 from the terminal portion of the artery or from some of its terminal branches. They pass 

 between the layers of the gastro-splenic omentum to the left end of the greater curvature of the 

 stomach, and. passing upon the surfaces of that organ, supply it, and anastomose with the cardiac 

 branches of the gastric artery and with the branches of the left gastro-epiploic. 



