THE LIVER 105 



underneath the peritoneum, and at the transverse fissure is 

 continued into the gland as a sheath, embracing the structures 

 entering there and ramifying with them in their distribution. 

 This is the capsule of Glisson. It is fibrous in structure, is 

 closely attached to the liver substance, and rather loosely ad- 

 herent to the structures which it envelops. The walls of the 

 portal vein are seen collapsed on section, while those of the 

 hepatic veins, which are not surrounded by Glisson's capsule, 

 and which are closely adherent to the gland substance, stand 

 well open. 



A general idea of the liver's anatomy is obtained by noting 

 that it has five lobes, five fissures, five ligaments and five struc- 

 tures passing through the transverse fissure. The lobes are right, 

 left, caudate, quadrate and Spigelian. The fissures are trans- 

 verse, umbilical, that for the ductus venosus, the fossa for the 

 vena cava and the fossa vesicalis. The ligaments are coronary, 

 right lateral, left lateral, round and suspensory or longitudinal. 

 The structures passing through the transverse fissure are the 

 portal vein, the hepatic artery, the hepatic duct, the nerves and 

 the lymphatics. 



Blood-vessels. Of the two blood-vessels entering the fissure 

 the portal vein is decidedly the larger. It has collected the 

 blood from the abdominal organs by the radicles of its tribu- 

 taries, the gastric, splenic, superior and inferior mesenteric veins, 

 while the hepatic artery is a branch of the celiac axis. These, 

 having been distributed in a manner to be noted presently, dis- 

 charge their blood into the radicles of the hepatic veins, which, 

 usually three in number, enter the ascending vena cava, where 

 that vessel passes through the liver behind. Again, it is to be 

 remembered that these two vessels, as well as the nerves and 

 lymphatics, are enveloped in the vagina, or capsule of Glisson. 



The portal vein and the hepatic artery give off branches to 

 the capsule of Glisson, constituting the vaginal plexus. The 

 portal vein, still ensheathed, then divides and subdivides until 



