30<) 



DISSECTION OF THE ABDOMEN. 



Spleen : 

 position 



relations of 

 surfaces, 

 phrenic, 

 gastric, 



and renal. 



position of the body ; so that when the trunk is erect the anterior 

 border may be felt below the edge of the ribs, but when the body is 

 reclined, it is withdrawn within the margin of the thorax. 



The SPLEEN (figs. 112 and 113 ; also 122, p. 329) is deeply placed 

 behind the stomach, at the back of the left hypochontlrium and 

 the adjoining part of the epigastric region. It lies very obliquely, 

 the upper end being near the spine, while the lower end reaches 

 about half-way round the side of the body. 



Its outer or phrenic surface is convex and free and rests against the 

 diaphragm opposite the ninth, tenth, and eleventh ribs. The anterior 

 or gastric surface is concave and applied to the stomach, to which it 

 is attached by the gastro-splenic omentum (fig. 115, gs om, p. 310) ; 

 the tail of the pancreas also touches the lower end of this surface. 

 A third narrow surface, the internal or renal, lies against the outer 

 border of the left kidney in its upper half ; and a fold of peritoneum, 



, QR BOR D H 



FIG. 113. THE SPLEEN, SEEN FROM THE RIGHT. 



Examine 



renal 



surface. 



Kidneys : 

 situation : 



surface 

 marking. 



called the lieno-renal ligament (fig. 115,./r), which contains the 

 splenic vessels, passes between the two. The way to find this surface 

 in the present stage of dissection is to pass the hand backwards 

 within the concavity of the diaphragm on the left side, the back of 

 the hand outwards, past the phrenic surface of the spleen, so that the 

 fingers will hook round its posterior border and enter the recess 

 between the spleen and the kidney. The upper end of the spleen is 

 close to the suprarenal capsule ; the lower end rests 011 the splenic 

 flexure of the colon and the phrenico-colic ligament. 



The KIDNEYS (fig. 112) cannot be seen much at present. The 

 lower part of the left kidney will be exposed by drawing the small 

 intestines inwards from the descending colon, and the lower part of 

 the right kidney can be felt below the liver behind the hepatic 

 flexure of the colon. They may be marked on the surface of the 

 front of the body in the following manner, remembering that they 

 are each about four inches in length and two and a half inches in 

 width (fig. 112). The lateral planes traverse them longitudinally 



