62 PROFESSOR A. BIRMINGHAM. 



purposes by the following methods: — Three points are deter- 

 mined; (a) a half inch (12 mm.) below the right nipple; (6) an 

 inch (25 mm.) below the left nipple ; and (c) an inch (25 mm.) 

 below the right margin of the thorax (or below the tip of the 

 tenth rib). If the two ' nipple points ' {a) and (5) be joined 

 by a line slightly convex upwards on each side but a little de- 

 pressed at the centre, corresponding to the position of the heart, 

 and crossing the sternum about the level of the sixth cartilage, 

 this will mark the upper hmit. A line concave inwards from 

 the right nipple point a to the subcostal point c will 

 indicate the right limit ; and a line slightly convex downwards 

 from the subcostal point c to the left nipple point h will mark 

 the lower limit. 



The vertical grooves often found in front and on the right of 

 the liver along the ridge which separates the anterior and right 

 areas of the parietal surface from the superior area are appar- 

 ently due to a wrinkling or an irregular contraction of the 

 diaphragm — at least, ridges of the diaphragm are found lying in 

 the grooves, in hardened bodies, and they apparently give rise 

 to them. 



Spigelian lohe. — The upper end of this lobe is separated from 

 the superior area of the parietal surface by the meeting of the 

 vena cava and the fissure of the ductus venosus in front of it. 

 Lower down the two do not meet, but they are separated only 

 by a narrow portion of liver substance which connects the 

 Spigelian to the right lobe. In the hardened liver only the 

 posterior surface of the Spigelian lobe is seen on the surface ; its 

 anterior surface is hidden by the folding of the left lobe across 

 its front. There is thus formed a deep fissure bounded behind by 

 the anterior surface of the Spigelian lobe, and in front by the 

 adjacent part of the left lobe, at the bottom of which will be 

 found the remains of the ductus venosus. The anterior surface 

 of the Spigelian lobe is easily displayed when the liver is in situ, 

 by tearing through the layers of the lesser omentum, and then 

 dividino- the lateral ligament and drawing the left lobe forwards. 

 When the ordinary soft liver of the dissecting-room is removed, 

 the left lobe falls away from this surface, the fissure of the 

 ductus venosus opens out, and the Spigelian lobe becomes very 

 much more prominent. 



