1372 



HUMAN ANATOMY. 



The spermatic plexus (plexus spermaticus) follows the course of the spermatic 

 artery through the abdomen, inguinal canal and scrotum, inosculating with filaments 

 which arise in the pelvis and accompany the vas deferens and its artery to the 

 scrotum. It is derived from the renal and aortic plexuses, a small spermatic gang- 

 lion being situated at the point of origin of the fibres contributed by the aortic plexus. 



The ovarian plexus (plexus ovaricus), arising similarly to the spermatic, 

 accompanies the ovarian artery and is distributed to the ovary, the oviduct, the 

 broad ligament and the uterus. In the broad ligament it inosculates with those 

 pelvic fibres which constitute the uterine plexus. 



FIG. 1139. 



Hepatic 

 artery and 

 plexus 



Pancreas 



Duodenum 



Middle colic 

 artery 



Transverse colon 



enic artery 



perior mesen- 

 eric artery and 

 plexus 



Termination 

 of ileum 



Caecum 



Dissection showing hepatic and superior mesenteric plexuses ; transverse colon has been turned up. 



The superior mesenteric plexus (plexus mesentericus superior) (Fig. 1139), 

 firm in texture and containing a large admixture of medullated fibres, is continuous 

 with the cceliac plexus above and with the aortic below. Its fibres are derived from 

 the semilunar ganglia, the cceliac plexus and the right vagus. Situated in the root 

 of the plexus and lying below and to the right of the origin of the superior mesen- 

 teric artery is the superior mesenteric ganglion (g. mesentericum superius), 

 from which a number of the fibres of the plexus arise. Accompanying the superior 

 mesenteric artery, the plexus gives off subdivisions which correspond to and follow 

 the course of the branches of that artery, supplying filaments to the small intestine, 

 the ccecum, the vermiform appendix and the ascending and transverse colons. As 



