286 GASTRIC OR CORONARY ARTERY. 



spleen, and are, therefore, denominated the gastric or Coronary, 

 the HEPATIC and the splenic arteries. 

 The first branch of the Cccliac is called 



The Superior Coronary or Gastric Artery, 



To distinguish it from the other branches, soon to be described. 

 It is commonly in the centre of the three great ramifications of 

 the ccsliac, and is also the smallest of them. It proceeds from 

 its origin to the upper orifice of the stomach or cardia, and con- 

 tinues thence along the lesser curvature of that viscus until it 

 approaches near to the pylorus. In this course it sends 

 branches to the oesophagus, which frequently inosculate with 

 the oesophageal arteries. It also furnishes branches to the 

 cardia, which partially surround it ; and, on this account, the 

 artery has been called Coronary. Some of these last mentioned 

 branches are often continued on the great extremity of the 

 stomach, and anastomose with those ramifications of the splenic 

 artery, called Vasa Brevia. 



It continues on the lesser curvature between the lamina of 

 the small omentum, and sends off successively branches which 

 pass between the peritoneal and muscular coats, and are dis- 

 tributed to the anterior and posterior surfaces of the stomach, 

 communicating with the branches of the inferior gastric arteries, 

 soon to be described.* 



The Hepatic Artery 



Proceeds from the great ramification of the coeliac to the 

 transverse fissure of the liver called the Portce, in which it 

 generally divides into two branches. In this course it very 

 frequently sends off an artery to the pylorus, which ramifies 

 about the small extremity of the stomach, and often inosculates 

 with some of the branches of the superior coronary. This 

 branch is called the Pyhrica, and sometimes it arises from the 

 artery next to be mentioned. 



* This artery sometimes sends a branch to the liver, When this is the case, 

 it is always very large. 



