14 ORGANS OF DIGESTION. 



name, is connected at one end all along the greater curvature of 

 the stomach, and by the other along the transverse part of the 

 colon. As it commences by two laminae, so it is continued 

 throughout in the same way. It is commonly found more or less 

 spread on the front surface of the small intestines, but occasion- 

 ally it is tucked up in the epigastric region. When fairly spread 

 out, either naturally or artificially, its course will be found as fol- 

 lows: It first of all descends fi*>m the stomach to the pelvis; it 

 then turns upwards, so as to reverse its course, and continues to 

 ascend till it reaches the colon. Its two laminae then separate 

 and receive the colon between them, so that, in this respect, the 

 arrangement is entirely conformable to what happens to the sto- 

 mach. The subsequent continuation of these laminae is the 

 mesocolon, which will be more particularly described. 



As the omentum majus consists of two laminae in its whole 

 extent, it is clear that it resembles a flattened bag lined by another 

 bag; so that in its whole thickness, when held between the fin- 

 gers, there are four laminse. It is* an irregular quadrilateral 

 membrane, which, in corpulent subjects, is interspersed with a 

 great deal of fat; but in such as are emaciated, it is wholly des- 

 titute of the latter; and instead of being entire in its parietes is a 

 delicate reticulated membrane, so that the rule about the integ- 

 rity of the peritoneum is not fully accurate as applied to this 

 section of it. On the right side it is continous with the omen- 

 tum colicum, and on the left with the omentum gastro-spleni- 

 cum. 



3. The Omentum Colicum maybe considered as a continua- 

 tion of the omentum majus along the ascending and a part of 

 the transverse colon. In some rare cases, (for in my own ob- 

 servations I have not met with the arrangement,) its origin is 

 continued downwards to the ccecum, and at its left margin is 

 extended along the transverse colon to the spleen. Much more 

 commonly it is, as stated, simply an appendage of the great 

 omentum, or its right flank, advancing for a short distance along 

 the ascending colon. 



It consists of but two laminae in all, commonly containing fat, 

 but in this respect subject to the same rule as the omentum 

 majus. 



