THE LIVER 247 



behind and a little above the small curvature of the 

 stomach. 



/, k. Two probes passed through the common orifice through 

 which the bile and the pancreatic secretion pass into 

 the first intestine. The part where the two probes 

 intersect each other mark the spot where these tubes 

 unite. 



THE LIVER. 

 PLATE IX, FIG. 2, a. 



This organ is situated between the stomach and 

 the diaphragm. Its right is in contact with the 

 duodenum and the right kidney, and the middle 

 and left divisions with the stomach. It is confined 

 in its place by means of what have been termed 

 its ligaments, which, with the exception of one, are 

 nothing more than elongations proceeding from the 

 peritoneum. The one attaching the right lobe to 

 the diaphragm is called the right ligament ; a similar 

 one connecting the left lobe to it, the left ligament ; 

 between the diaphragm and its middle lobe, is the 

 suspensory ligament ; and immediately above that, 

 surrounding the posterior vena cava, is the coronary 

 ligament ; and that within the folds of the suspensory 

 ligament are the remains of the umbilical vein. 



In our description of the heart, at page 234, we 

 mentioned that the blood which is conducted to the 

 different parts of the body by the arteries, is returned 

 to the heart by the veins. But that portion of the 

 blood which is returned from the stomach, intestines, 

 pancreas, spleen, and mesentery, instead of taking 

 a direct course to the heart, passes first through the 

 liver. Two large vessels conduct it thither, and as 

 soon as they have entered its substance, they spread 

 out into innumerable minute branches, traversing 



