THE ABDOMEN 



749 



for about 2 inches. In the ileo-colic angle there is a special group 

 of glands, called the ileo-colic glands. These receive afferent 

 vessels from the terminal part of the ileum, the caecxun, and the 

 vermiform appendix, and their efferent vessels pass to the innermost 

 group of superior mesenteric glands. 



Lymphatic Vessels of Ascending and Transverse Colon. — ^The 

 l\-mphatics of the ascending colon terminate in two ways, as follows: 

 those from the 

 lower part pass 

 to the innermost 

 group of superior 

 mesenteric 

 glands, whilst 

 those from the 

 upper part go to 

 the mesocolic 

 glands . The 

 lymphatics of the 

 transverse colon 

 become afferent 

 vessels of the me- 

 so-colic glands, 

 the efferent ves- 

 sels of which join 

 the terminal in- 

 testinal l\Tnpha- 

 tic trunks from 

 the superior mes- 

 enteric glands. 



Inferior Mes- 

 enteric Artery. — 

 Tliis vessel arises 

 from the front of 

 the abdominal 

 aorta towards its 

 left side, about 

 1 2- inches above 

 the bifurcation. 

 Its course is 

 downwards and 

 to the left to- 

 wards the left 

 iliac fossa. It is 



behind the peritoneum, and Ues first upon the aorta, and then on its 

 left side, where it is supported by the psoas magnus. Subsequently 

 it is continued as the superior hemorrhoidal artery over the left 

 common iliac vessels. The artery is surroimded by the inferior 

 mesenteric sympathetic plexus. 



Branches— Left Colic Artery. — This vessel passes transversely 

 to the left, behind the peritonevun and over the lower part of th3 



Fig. 



314. — The Inferior Mesenteric Artery and 

 ITS Branches (after Tiedemann). 



1. Superior Mesenteric Artery 



2. Middle Colic 



3. Inferior Mesenteric 



4. Left Colic 



5. Arteriae Sigmoide«e 



6. Superior Hemorrhoidal 



7. Transverse Colon 



8. Descending Colon 



9. Iliac Colon 

 10. Peh-ic Colon 



