260 reins of tie Vrfcera. [Book IX - 



been noticed. The courfe of this blood, however, de- 

 ferves particular attention. 



The veins of the recbum form the beginning of a 

 vein called vena meferaica minor, or vena hsemorrhoi- 

 dalis interna. This afterwards unites with a branch 

 from the left part of the arch of the colon, and opens 

 at length into the vena fplenica. 



The vena fplenica returns the blood from the fpleen, 

 and in its paflage alfo receives branches from the fto- 

 mach, pancreas, and omentum, and alfo the vena 

 meferaica minor laft defcribed. 



The vena meferaica major returns the blood of 

 moft of the branches of the arteria mefenterica fupe- 

 rior, which are diflributed on the fmall inteftines 

 and right portion of the colon. It alfo receives 

 the vena cscalis from the beginning of the colon, the 

 gaftro colica, partly from the fromach and partly 

 from the colon, and fome other branches from the 

 adjoining vifcera> which vary in different fubjects. 



The vena fplenica receives the vena meieraica 

 minor, and the vena meferaica major the vena fple- 

 nica, and thus is brought into one vefiel, called the 

 vena portse, the blood which comes from the omen- 

 tum, the pancreas, the fpleen, the ftomach, and the 

 fmall and great inteftines. The blood, however, thus 

 collected, is not immediately returned to the heart, 

 as in other parts of the body ; for the vena ports, 

 having arrived at the concave part of the -liver, is firft 

 divided into five branches, and tliefe into others more 

 minute, which are diilributed through that organ like 

 arteries, and which perform the fecretion of the bile. 

 Where the vena portse enters the liver, its ftructure 

 becomes more robuft, to enable it to perform its new 

 office. The 'blood, thus circulated through the liver, 

 is again collected by another fet of veins, which, 



uniting 



