REFLECTIONS OF PERITONEUM. 



309 



and reaches into the pelvis, constitutes the large sac. The t\vo sacs 



are however continuous, and their cavities communicate through 



the aperture termed the foramen of "Winslow, 



apparent by tracing the 



horizontal circle at a 



higher level than before, 



viz., immediately above 



the pyloric end of the 



stomach. 



Horizontal circuit at the 

 level of the foramen of 

 Jn,tslov: (fig. 115, p. 310). 

 Beginning in front at the 

 falciform ligament of the 

 liver (/), the peritoneum 

 may be followed on the 

 left side along the ab- 

 dominal wall and the 

 diaphragm to the outer 

 part of the left kidney, 

 where it is reflected along 

 the back of the splenic 

 vessels to the spleen, form- 

 ing one layer of the lieno- 

 renal ligament (lr). Hav- 

 ing furnished the invest- 

 ment of the spleen, the 

 membrane passes as the 

 outer layer of the gastro- 

 splenic omentum (gs om) 

 to the stomach, and over 

 the front of the latter into 

 the anterior layer of the 

 small omentum (s cm). 

 At the right edge of this 

 it turns round the hepatic 

 vessels (which are felt as 

 thick cord-like structures 

 within the peritoneal fold) 

 to the back of the small 

 omentum ; and at the 

 spot where it passes be- 

 hind the vessels it bounds 

 the foramen of Winslow 

 (if), the entrance from the greater into the lesser sac. It then forms 

 in succession the posterior covering of the stomach, the inner layer 

 of the gastro-splenic omentum and lieno- renal ligament, and, turning 

 to the right, is continued over the left kidney and the diaphragm to 

 the inferior vena cava, where it forms the posterior boundary of the 



their con- 

 tinuity. 



covering of 

 spleen 



FIG. 11 4. DIAGRAM SHOWING THE ARRANGE- 

 MENT OF THE PERITONEUM IN A MEDIAN 

 SECTION OF THE ABDOMEN. 



small 

 omentum ; 



I. Liver. 

 st. Stomach. 



c. Transverse colon. 

 p. Pancreas. 



d. Duodenum, third 



part. 

 i. i. i. Coils of small 



intestine. 

 /. Rectum. 



U. Bladder. 

 s om. Small omentum. 

 gom. Great omentum. 

 me. Transverse rneso- 



colon. 



m. Mesentery. 

 rv p. Recto - vesical 



pouch. 



foramen of 

 Win slow 

 and small 



