DIGESTIVE ORGANS PERITONEUM. 



539 



reflections are made, is singular, but easily intelligible from the accom- 

 panying figure (Fig. 246). It has neither beginning nor end, constitut- 



Fig. 246. 



1. Section of the spinal column and canal. 

 2. Section of the sacrum. 3. Section of the 

 sternum, &c. 4. Umbilicus. 5. A section 

 of the linea alba and abdominal muscles. 

 6. Mons veneris. 7. Section of the pubis. 



8. Penis divided at the corpora cavernosa. 



9. Section of the scrotum. 10. Superior 

 right half of the diaphragm. 11. Section 

 of the liver. 12. Section of the stomach, 

 showing its cavity. 13. Section of the 

 transverse colon. 14. Section of the pan- 

 creas. 15. Section of the bladder, deprived 

 of the peritoneum. 16. Rectum cut off, tied 

 and turned back on the promontory of the 

 sacrum. 17. Peritoneum covering the an- 

 terior parietes of the abdomen. 18. Peri- 

 toneum on the* inferior under side of the 

 diaphragm. 19. Peritoneum on the convex 

 side of the diaphragm. 20. Reflection of 

 peritoneum from diaphragm to liver. 21. 

 Peritoneum on front of liver. 22. The' 

 same, on its under surface. 23. Hepato- 

 gastric omentum. 24. A large pin passed 

 through the foramen of Winslow into the 

 cavity behind the omentum. 25. Anterior 

 face of the hepato-gastric omentum, pass- 

 ing in front of the stomach. 26. The same 

 membrane leaving the stomach to make the 

 anterior of the four layers of the great 

 omentum. 27, 28. Junction of the peri- 

 toneum from the front and back part of the 

 stomach, as they turn to go up to the colon. 

 29. Gastro-colic, or greater omentum. 30. 

 Separation of its layers, so as to cover the 

 colon. 31. Posterior layer passing over the 

 jejunum. 32. Peritoneum in front of the 

 right kidney. 33. Jejunum cut off and tied. 

 34, 34. Mesentery cut off from the small 

 intestines. 35. Peritoneum reflected from 

 the posterior paries of the bladder to the 

 anterior of the rectum. 36. Cul-de-sac be- 

 tween the bladder and the rectum. 



Reflections of the Peritoneum, as shown in a Verti 

 cal Section of the Body. 



ing, like all serous membranes, a shut sac ; and, in reality, having no 

 viscus within it. If we assume the diaphragm as the part at which it 

 commences, we find it continued from the surface of that muscle over 

 the abdominal muscles, 5 ; then reflected, as exhibited by the curved 

 line, over the bladder, 15 ; and, in the female, over the uterus ; thence 

 over the rectum, 16 ; the kidney, enveloping the intestine, 13, and 

 constituting, by its two laminae, the mesentery, 34 ; giving a coat to 

 the liver, 11 ; and receiving the stomach, 12, between its duplicatures. 

 The use of this membrane is to fix and support the different viscera ; to 

 constitute, for each, a pedicle, along which the vessels and nerves may 

 reach the intestine ; and to secrete a fluid, which enables them to move 

 readily upon each other. When we speak of the cavity of the perito- 

 neum, we mean the inside of the sac ; and when it is distended with 

 fluid, as in ascites, the fluid is contained between the peritoneum lining 

 the abdominal muscles, and that which forms the outer coat of the intes- 

 tines. The omenta or epiploa are fatty membranes, which hang over 

 the face of the bowels ; and are reflections, formed by the peritoneum 

 after it has covered the stomach and intestines. Their names sufficiently 

 indicate their position : the lesser epiploon or omentum, the omentum 



