THE CELIAC PLEXUS 985 



of the cardiac plexus are the superior cardiac nerve of the left sympathetic, and the 

 lower of the two superior cervical cardiac branches from the left vagus, which pass 

 to the superficial part of the plexus. 



The branches from the right half of the deep part of the cardiac plexus pass, 

 some in front of, and others behind, the right pulmonary artery; the former, the 

 more numerous, transmit a few filaments to the anterior pulmonary plexus, and 

 are then continued onward to form part of the anterior coronary plexus; those 

 behind the pulmonary artery distribute a few filaments to the right atrium, and are 

 then continued onward to form part of the posterior coronary plexus. 



The left half of the deep part of the plexus is connected with the superficial part 

 of the cardiac plexus, and gives filaments to the left atrium, and to the anterior 

 pulmonary plexus, and is then continued to form the greater part of the posterior 

 coronary plexus. 



The Posterior Coronary Plexus (plexus coronarius posterior; left coronary plexus} 

 is larger than the anterior, and accompanies the left coronary artery; it is chiefly 

 formed by filaments prolonged from the left half of the deep part of the cardiac 

 plexus, and by a few from the right half. It gives branches to the left atrium and 

 ventricle. 



The Anterior Coronary Plexus (plexus coronarius anterior; right coronary plexus) 

 is formed partly from the superficial and partly from the deep parts of the cardiac 

 plexus. It accompanies the right coronary artery, and gives branches to the right 

 atrium and ventricle. 



The Celiac Plexus (Plexus Coeliacus; Solar Plexus) (Figs. 838, 848). 



The celiac plexus, the largest of the three sympathetic plexuses, is situated at 

 the level of the upper part of the first lumbar vertebra and is composed of two 

 large ganglia, the celiac ganglia, and a dense net-work of nerve fibers uniting them 

 together. It surrounds the celiac artery and the root of the superior mesenteric 

 artery. It lies behind the stomach and the omental bursa, in front of the crura 

 of the diaphragm and the commencement of the abdominal aorta, and between 

 the suprarenal glands. The plexus and the ganglia receive the greater and lesser 

 splanchnic nerves of both sides and some filaments from the right vagus, and give 

 off numerous secondary plexuses along the neighboring arteries. 



The Celiac Ganglia (ganglia cceliaca; semilunar ganglia,) are two large irregularly- 

 shaped masses having the appearance of lymph glands and placed one on either 

 side of the middle line in front of the crura of the diaphragm close to the supra- 

 renal glands, that on the right side being placed behind the inferior vena cava. The 

 upper part of each ganglion is joined by the greater splanchnic. nerve, while the 

 lower part, which is segmented off and named the aorticorenal ganglion, receives 

 the lesser splanchnic nerve and gives off the greater part of the renal plexus. 



The secondary plexuses springing from or connected with the celiac plexus are 

 the 



h Phrenic. Renal. 



Hepatic. Spermatic. 



Lienal. Superior mesenteric. 



Superior gastric. Abdominal aortic. 



Suprarenal. Inferior mesenteric. 



The phrenic plexus (plexus phrenicus) accompanies the inferior phrenic artery 

 to the diaphragm, some filaments passing to the suprarenal gland. It arises 

 from the upper part of the celiac ganglion, and is larger on the right than on the 

 left side. It receives one or two branches from the phrenic nerve. At the point 

 of junction of the right phrenic plexus with the phrenic nerve is a small ganglion 





