556 PERITONEUM. DUPLICATURES. 



lesser omentum. They then, in the same manner, surround the 

 stomach, and meeting at its lower border, descend for some distance in 

 front of the intestines, and return to the transverse colon, forming the 

 great omentum; they then surround the transverse colon, and pass 

 directly backwards to the vertebral column, forming the transverse 

 meso-colon. Here the two layers separate ; the posterior ascends in 

 front of the pancreas and aorta, and returns to the posterior part of 

 the diaphragm, where it becomes the posterior layer with which we 

 commenced. The anterior descends, invests all the small intestines, 

 and returning to the vertebral column forms the mesentery. It then 

 descends into the pelvis in front of the rectum, which it holds in its 

 place by means of a fold called meso-rectum, forms a pouch, the recto- 

 vesicalfold) between the rectum and bladder, ascends upon the poste- 

 rior surface of the bladder, forming its false ligaments, and returns 

 upon the anterior parietes of the abdomen to the diaphragm, whence 

 we first traced it. 



In the female, after descending into the pelvis in front of the 

 rectum, it is reflected upon the posterior surface of the vagina and 

 uterus. It then descends on the anterior surface of the uterus, and 

 forms at either side the broad ligaments of that organ. From the 

 uterus it ascends upon the posterior surface of the bladder and an- 

 terior parietes of the abdomen, and is continued, as in the male, to the 

 diaphragm. 



In this way the continuity of the peritoneum, as a whole, is dis- 

 tinctly shown, and it matters not where the examination commence 

 or where it terminate, still the same continuity of surface will be 

 discernible throughout. If we trace it from side to side of the ab- 

 domen, we may commence at the umbilicus ; we then follow it out- 

 wards lining the inner side of the parietes to the ascending colon ; 

 it surrounds that intestine ; it then surrounds the small intestine, 

 and returning on itself forms the mesentery. It then invests the 

 descending colon, and reaches the parietes on the opposite side of the 

 abdomen, whence it may be traced to the exact point from which we 

 started. 



The viscera, which are thus shown to be invested by the peritoneum 

 in its course from above downwards, are the 



Liver, 

 Stomach, 

 Transverse colon, 

 Small intestines, 

 Pelvic viscera. 



of D, the transverse duodenum, and P, the pancreas, to become continuous 

 with the posterior layer (2). 9. The foramen of Winslow; the dotted line 

 bounding this foramen inferiorly marks the course of the hepatic artery for- 

 wards, to enter between the layers of the lesser omentum. 10 The mesentery 

 encircling the small intestine. 11. The recto-vesical fold, formed by the de- 

 scending anterior layer. 12. The anterior layer traced upwards upon the in- 

 ternal surface of the abdominal parietes to the layer (1), with which the exa- 

 mination commenced. 



