BRANCHES OF THE ABDOMINAL AORTA. . 223 



left, in order to reach the small curvature of the stomach, the 

 course of which it pursues to the pylorus, between the two lami- 

 na3 of the little omentum. It gives off the following branches;' 



a. Ramifications to the oesophagus, some of which ascend 

 along it into the posterior mediastinum, and anastomose there 

 with the similar branches coming from the aorta; others go 

 transversely, so as to surround the cardia, reach the greater 

 end of the stomach, and anastomose with the vasa brevia. 



b. The ramifications to the stomach are abundant, but of an 

 indeterminate number, and arising along its lesser curvature, 

 are distributed in winding branches to the anterior and the pos- 

 terior surfaces of this viscus, between its membranes. 



c. Not unfrequently the artery which supplies the left lobe of 

 the liver is a branch from the gastric, in which case the latter 

 is much larger than usual. 



2. The Hepatic Artery (*flrteria Hepatica) is generally con- 

 siderably larger than the gastric, and inclines towards the right 

 side, in order to reach the liver, which it does through the cap- 

 sule of Glisson. It sends off the following branches: 



a. The Right Gastric or Gastro-Epiploic Artery (Jirteria 

 Gastrica Dextra) comes from it near the pylorus, and descend- 

 ing between the duodenum and pancreas, reaches the greater 

 curvature of the stomach, to the right half of which, and to the 

 corresponding part of the great omenturn, it is distributed. In 

 the early part of its course, the right gastric detaches some 

 small ramifications to the pylorus (arterise pyloricse;) also, to 

 the duodenum and to the pancreas (art. pancreatico duode- 

 nales.) The latter communicate, by very free anastomoses, 

 with the superior mesenteric artery. 



After having sent off this branch, the hepatic artery advances 

 to the transverse fissure of the liver, in front of and to the left 

 of the vena portarum. It then divides into a right and a left 

 branch. The former sends off a ramification to the gall-blad- 

 der, (art. Cystica,) which first reaches its neck, and is distri- 

 buted, by many arterioles, upon the parietes of this reservoir; 

 the right branch then penetrates deeply into the transverse fis- 

 sure, and is distributed by many ramifications, throughout the 

 right lobe of the liver. The left branch of the hepatic artery 



