692 A MANUAL OF ANATOMY 



inferior surface is somewhat flat, and has a slight inclination back- 

 wards. Its relations are as follows: 



1. The diaphragm. 



2. The gastric surface of the spleen. 



3. The left suprarenal capsule. 



4. The gastric area at the upper part of the front of the left kidney. 



5. The antero-superior surface of the pancreas. 



6. The transverse colon. 



7. The upper surface of the transverse mesocolon. 

 Curvatures. — The curvatures, also known . as borders, are small 



and great. The small curvature, or posterior border, extends 

 downwards and to the right from the right side of the lower end 

 of the oesophagus to the duodeno-pyloric constriction. It is con- 

 cave, and is directed backwards and towards the right. The small 

 or gastro-hepatic omentum connects the small curvature with the 

 lips of the portal fissure of the liver, and between the two layers 

 of the gastro-hepatic omentum, along the small curvature, there 

 are the gastric artery and the pyloric branch of the hepatic artery, 

 with the corresponding veins. Towards its pyloric extremity the 

 small curvature presents a notch, which is produced by the stomach 

 being bent upon itself. This notch is called the incisura angularis. 

 It indicates the division of the stomach into cardiac and pyloric 

 parts. The great curvature, or anterior border, extends from the 

 left side of the lower end of the oesophagus to the duodeno-jejunal 

 constriction. It is convex, and much arched. At first it arches 

 over the fundus, passing upwards, backwards, and to the left. 

 Thereafter it passes downwards and forwards, and finally it extends 

 from left to right. The direction of the greater part of the great 

 curvature is forwards and towards the left. It gives attachment 

 to two omenta — namely, the great or gastro-colic omentum, and 

 the gastro- splenic omentum. The gastro-colic omentum is attached 

 to the greater part of the great curvature, from which it depends. 

 Between its two layers there are the right gastro-epiploic artery 

 and the left gastro-epiploic artery, together with the gastro-epiploic 

 veins, right and left. The gastro-splenic omentum is attached to 

 the great curvature to the left of the attachment of the gastro-colic 

 omentum. The transverse colon lies immediately below the great 

 curvature, under cover of the great omentum. About ij inches 

 from the pyloric end the great curvature presents a notch, called 

 the sulcus intermedius, which indicates the subdivision of the 

 pyloric part of the stomach into a pyloric canal and a pyloric 

 vestibule. 



Orifices. — These are two in number — namely, oesophageal and 

 pyloric. The oesophageal orifice is also known as the cardiac 

 orifice, or cardia, and through it the oesophagus opens into the 

 stomach. It is situated at the upper and left extremity of the 

 small curvature, fully 2 inches to the right of the highest part of 

 the fundus. The pyloric or duodenal orifice, through which the 

 stomach communicates with the duodenum, is narrow, and is 



