DIGESTIVE: ORGANS AND THEIR ANATOMY. 293 



near the middle of the lobule. These capillary ducts run 

 in-between the liver cells, and into them is poured the se- 

 cretion of the bile, which then through the complicated 

 system of bile-ducts is finally carried to the intestine. 



In order to store the secretion of the liver, so that 

 larger quantities may be available when they are needed, 

 the bile-duct is connected by means of a cystic duct with 

 the gall-bladder, a small muscular pouch several inches in 

 diameter, lying under the liver. The bile reaches this gall- 

 bladder by being prevented from reaching the intestine, the 

 duct leading to the intestine being closed by sphincter mus- 

 cles, and thus forcing the bile up into the gall-bladder. 

 From time to time these sphincter muscles relax, and with 

 a simultaneous contraction of the gall-bladder the bile is ex- 

 pelled in spurts into the duodenum. That portion of the 

 duct which leads from the liver to where the duct from the 

 bladder meets it is called the hepatic duct. The duct lead- 

 ing to the bladder is called the cystic duct, while that part 

 of the duct formed by the union of the two and which con- 

 nects with the duodenum is called the common bile-duct 

 (ductus choledochus) . As stated before, this duct opens 

 with the pancreatic duct. 



The liver is supplied with lymphatics, running mainly 

 in the capsule of Glisson. Nerves reach it from the left 

 pneumogastric and from the sympathetic through the solar 

 plexus of the mesentery. Like the blood-vessels, these 

 lymphatics and nerves enter the liver at the portal fissure. 



THE DUCTLESS GLANDS. 



The various structures so far described in this chaptei 

 are structures intimately and integrally connected with the 

 process of digestion. There are, however, found along the 

 alimentary canal, though not immediately connected with 

 it, other organs commonly designated as the ductless glands. 

 While it is probable, in fact known, that the function of 

 some of these glands is not related immediately to the pro- 

 cess of digestion, yet it is customary, on account of their 



