492 PERITONEUM DUPLICATURES. 



line, we commence with the diaphragm, which is lined by two 

 layers, one from the parietes in front, anterior, and one from the 

 parietes behind, posterior. These two layers of the same membrane, 

 at the posterior part of the diaphragm, descend to the upper surface 

 of the liver, forming the coronary and lateral ligaments of the liver. 

 They then surround the liver, one going in front, the other behind 

 that viscus, and, meeting at its under surface, pass to the stomach, 

 forming the lesser omentum. They then, in the same manner, sur- 

 round the stomach, and meeting at its lower border descend for some 

 distance in front of the intestines, and return to the transverse colon, 

 forming the great omentum; they then surround the transverse colon, 

 and pass directly backwards to the vertebral column, forming the 

 transverse meso-colon. Here the two layers separate ; the posterior 

 ascends in front of the pancreas and aorta, and returns to the pos- 

 terior part of the diaphragm, where it forms the posterior layer with 

 which we commenced. The anterior descends, invests all the small 

 intestines, and returning to the vertebral column forms the mesentery. 

 It then descends into the pelvis in front of the rectum, which it 

 holds in its place by means of a fold called meso-rectum, forms a 

 pouch, the recto-vesical fold, between it and the bladder, ascends 

 upon the posterior surface of the bladder, forming its false ligaments, 

 and returns upon the anterior parietes of the abdomen to the dia- 

 phragm, whence we first traced it. 



In the female, after descending into the pelvis in front of the 

 rectum, it is reflected upon the posterior surface of the vagina and 

 uterus. It then descends on the anterior surface of the uterus, and 

 forms at either side the broad ligaments of that organ. From the 

 uterus it ascends upon the posterior surface of the bladder and ante- 

 rior parietes of the abdomen, and is continued, as in the male, to 

 the diaphragm. 



In this way the continuity of the peritoneum, as a whole, is dis- 

 tinctly shown, and it matters not where the examination commence 

 or where it terminate, still the same continuity of surface will be 

 discernible throughout. If we trace it from side to side of the 

 abdomen, we may commence at the umbilicus ; we then follow it 

 outwards lining the inner side of the parietes to the ascending colon ; 

 it surrounds that intestine; it then surrounds the small intestine, 

 and returning on itself forms the mesentery. It then invests the 

 descending colon, and reaches the parietes on the opposite side of 

 the abdomen, whence it may be traced to the exact point from 

 which we started. 



The viscera, which are thus shown to be invested by the perito- 

 neum in its course downwards, are the 



Liver, 

 Stomach, 

 Transverse colon. 

 Small intestines, 

 Pelvic viscera. 



