some points in the anatomy of the digestive system. 61 



Liver. 



The large number of s^^rfaces enumerated on this organ 

 render the description of the liver much more complicated, with- 

 out, I think, in any way affording great counterbalancing advan- 

 tages, particularly as the student is inclined to attribute an 

 equal value to every surface. I have sought for some natural 

 method of combining or connecting these surfaces, and 1 have 

 come to the conclusion that the liver may be most simply 

 described as possessing two chief surfaces, namely, a parietal, 

 convex in general outline, which fits into the vault of the 

 diaphragm, and a visceral surface, irregular in form, which looks 

 downwards, backwards, and to the left, and rests upon the 

 abdominal viscera. The former of these two surfaces — which 

 may be taken as equivalent in value but not in size — can be 

 further subdivided into superior, posterior, right and anterior 

 areas, corresponding to the same named surfaces of Symington. 



From a study of hardened specimens, it is seen that the mass 

 of the right lobe lies chiefly in an antero-posterior direction, its 

 thick posterior part fitting into the wide groove at the side of 

 the vertebral column, and its long axis running from behind 

 forward and a little inward. The left lobe leading off from the 

 anterior part of the right lobe is folded across the front of the 

 vertebral column and great vessels, its long axis running 

 transversely, but it does not pass back at the side of the column 

 like the right lobe, so that there is no real notch, as usually 

 described, at the back of the liver for the vertebral column, but 

 merely an angle formed by the meeting of the two lobes, coming 

 from different directions. In other words, viewed from above, the 

 long axis of the two lobes meet almost at a right angle, the one 

 running almost antero-posteriorly, tlie other transversely. The 

 whole liver is bent or folded as it were around the longitudinal 

 fissure, in such a way that a considerable portion of the free 

 surface of the two lobes come in contact at the fissure. There 

 is thus formed on the inferior and posterior surfaces a deep 

 cleft (fully one inch in depth), at the bottom of which lie the 

 remains of the umbilical vein and the ductus venosus. 



The limits of the normal liver may be marked out on the 

 surface of the body witli sufficient accuracy for all ordinary 



