342 DISSECTION OF THE RABBIT. 



fold of peritoneum extending backwards from me 

 stomach and loaded with fat. 



13. The coeliacyand mesenteric ganglia and the nerves 



connecting them should now be recognised. They 

 he in the mesentery near the vertebral column 

 (see p. 347). 



14. The portal vein and its branches should be identified 



(p. 355) and drawn. 



III. THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM. 



In this section the abdominal portion of the digestive 

 system will alone be considered ; the buccal cavity, pharynx, 

 salivary glands, and oesophagus will be described later. 



External Characters of the Digestive System. 



1. The stomach. 



Expose the stomach fully, by turning the liver forwards, 

 and the intestine over to the animaVs left. 



The stomach is much dilated at its left or cardiac 

 end ; narrower towards the right or pyloric end ; 

 and markedly curved, the concavity being directed 

 forwards. Near the left end of its anterior border is 

 the cardia, or opening of the oesophagus ; and from 

 the thick-walled pyloric end a small aperture, the 

 pylorus, leads to the duodenum. 



2. The duodenum, or first portion of the intestine, runs 



from the pylorus along the right side of the ab- 

 dominal cavity almost to its hinder end : it then 

 turns back on itself, forming a U-shaped loop. In 

 the mesentery connecting the two limbs of the loop 

 are the large duodenal vessels. 



3. The pancreas. 



Turn the duodenal loop over to the left side without injuring 

 the mesentery, and spread it out over the other viscera. 



