THE ABDOMEN. 229 



from thence pass towards the spine to empty themselves into 

 the receptaculum chyli. 



The stomach, somewhat small in the horse as compared 

 with other animals, is found mainly in the left hypochondriac 

 region of the abdomen. It however extends into the epi- 

 gastric, and sometimes into the right hypochondrium under 

 extreme distension. It is likened to the bag of a bagpipe, 

 and from this it may be seen that it is a somewhat elon- 

 gated body, curved upon itself, having two extremities. 

 To one of these extremities, that placed on the left side 

 and most superiorly, in contact with the posterior surface 

 of the diaphragm, the oesophagus passes after emerging 

 through foramen sinistrum. It is surrounded by a fold 

 of peritoneum, which is designated the cardiac ligament, 

 which posteriorly ex^^ands over the stomach, while to the 

 left it forms an omentum which serves to connect the 

 stomach to the diajphragm, and is termed the gastro- 

 phrenic oinentum. This extremity of the stomach is termed 

 the left or cardiac, while from' the right or pyloric ex- 

 tremity the small intestine commences. That margin of 

 the organ situated between these two extremities, and 

 which is most superiorly placed, passing in an oblique 

 direction from left to right and from above downwards, 

 is termed the lesser curvature, and from it the gastro- 

 hepatic omentum runs to the porta of the liver, and on 

 the right side extends to the spine, having the duodenum 

 between its layers at the free margin, to which the duct 

 formed by combination of the excretory vessels of the 

 pancreas and liver runs, almost directly from the liver to 

 the bowel, into which it opens about four inches from the 

 pylorus, on the free margin, having wound round the 

 intestine for that purpose. The two extremities of the 

 stomach being attached to the upper wall of the abdomen, 

 the greater curvature of the stomach is situated below 

 and behind the lesser in such a manner that the organ 

 being obliquely placed from above downwards from left 

 to right, as well as from before to behind, presents a j^os- 

 tero -superior and an antero -inferior surface, both of which 

 are covered by layers of peritoneum, which at the greater cur- 

 vature form omenta. Thus, to the left extremity is attached 

 the spleen by the gastro- splenic omentum, while to the 

 greater part of the greater curvature the gastro-colic omen- 

 tum is attached, and, by running in a backward direction, 



