

THE PERITONEUM 



1153 



over the pancreas on to the inferior surface of the diaphragm, and thence on to the 

 caudate lobe and caudate process of the liver to the fossa from the ductus venosus 

 and the porta of the liver. Traced to the right, it is continuous over the inferior 

 vena cava with the posterior wall of the main cavity. From the liver it is carried 

 downward to the lesser curvature of the stomach and the commencement of the 

 duodenum as the posterior layer of the lesser omentum, and is continuous on the 

 right, around the hepatic artery, bile duct, and portal vein, with the anterior layer 

 of this omentum. The posterior layer of the lesser omentum is carried down as a 

 covering for the postero-inferior surfaces of the stomach and commencement of the 

 duodenum, and is continued downward as the deep layer of the gastrocolic ligament 

 or greater omentum. From the free margin of this fold it is reflected upward on 

 itself to the anterior and superior surfaces of the transverse colon, and thence as 

 the superior layer of the transverse mesocolon to the anterior border of the pancreas, 

 the level from which a start was made. It will be seen that the loop formed by 

 the wall of the omental bursa below the transverse colon follows, and is closely 

 applied to, the deep surface of that formed by the peritoneum of the main cavity, 

 and that the greater omentum or large fold of peritoneum which hangs in front 

 of the small intestine therefore consists of four layers, two anterior and two posterior 

 separated by the potential cavity of the omental bursa. 



Horizontal Disposition of the Peritoneum. Below the transverse colon the 

 arrangement is simple, as it includes only the main cavity; above the level of the 

 transverse colon it is more complicated on account of the existence of the omental 

 bursa. Below the transverse colon it may be considered in the two regions, viz., 

 in the pelvis and in the abdomen proper. 



FIG. 1037. The peritoneum of the male pelvis. (Dixon and Birmingham.) 



(1) In the Pelvis. The peritoneum here follows closely the surfaces of the 

 pelvic viscera and the inequalities of the pelvic walls, and presents important 

 differences in the two sexes, (a) In the male (Fig. 1037) it encircles the sigmoid 

 colon, from which it is reflected to the posterior wall of the pelvis as a fold, the 

 sigmoid mesocolon. It then leaves the sides and, finally, the front of the rectum, 

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