THE STOMACH 



263 



FIG. 101 



el ,RFACE OF MUCOSA 



called the cardia, and below this is the fundus, the 

 right end is termed the pylorus. The right opening 

 of the stomach is called the pyloric orifice, and the 

 left the esophageal orifice, the former opens into the 

 duodenum, and the latter, the 

 esophagus. It is 10 to 12 inches 

 in length, 4 to 5 inches in the 

 vertical direction, and weighs 4 

 to 5 ounces. Its capacity is 

 from 3 to 6 pints. 



The cardiac orifice is the 

 highest part of the stomach, and 

 lies behind the seventh costal 

 cartilage, 1 inch to the left of 

 the sternum. The pyloric orifice 

 lies about 2 inches to the right 

 of the midline, on a level with 

 the upper border of the first 

 lumbar vertebra; it is guarded 

 by a valve, the pylorus. Be- 

 tween the two orifices the 

 stomach is sickle-shaped and 

 presents an upper concave bor- 

 der, the lesser curvature, and 

 a lower convex border, the 

 greater curvature. The pyloric 

 orifice is anterior and inferior 

 to the fundus and is in relation 

 with the quadrate lobe of the 

 liver and belly wall. The 

 stomach presents two surfaces, 



-, Cardiac gland in longitudinal 



an anterosuperior and postero- eec tion. (?. H. G.) 

 inferior. 



The stomach has a serous (peritoneal) coat, a 

 muscular coat comprising a longitudinal, circular, and 

 oblique layer, an areolar coat of loose tissue (submucous 

 coat), and a mucous coat, lined with columnar epithe- 

 lium. The latter is thickest near the pylorus, thinnest at 



