CCELIAC ARTERY AND BRANCHES. 447 



dominal aorta, and arises between the pillars of the diaphragm. It is a 

 short thick trunk, about halt' an inch long, which projects above the upper 

 border of the pancreas, and is surrounded by the solar plexus of the sym- 

 pathetic. Its branches coronary, hepatic, and splenic radiate from the 

 trunk (whence the name axis) to their distribution to the viscera in the 

 upper part of the abdomen. 



a. The coronary artery (c?) is the smallest of the three, and passes be- 

 tween the layers of the little omentum to the left end of the stomach. At 

 that spot it furnishes some oesophageal branches, and turns from left to 

 right, along the upper border of the stomach, to anastomose with a branch 

 (pyloric) (o) from the hepatic artery. Its offsets to the ccsophagus and 

 the stomach are thus distributed : 



(Esophageal branches ascend on the gullet through the opening in the 

 diaphragm, supplying that tube ; and they anastomose on it with branches 

 of the thoracic aorta. 



Gastric branches are given to both sides of the stomach, and those. on 

 the left end communicate with twigs (vasa brevia) of the splenic artery. 



b. The splenic artery (e] is the largest branch of the creliac axis in the 

 adult. It is a tortuous vessel, and runs almost horizontally to the spleen, 

 along the upper border of the pancreas. Near the spleen it divides into 

 terminal branches, about seven in number (from four to ten), which enter 

 that viscus by the surface towards the stomach. It is accompanied by the 

 splenic vein, which is below it; and it distributes branches to the pan- 

 creas and the stomach. 



Pancreatic branches. Numerous small branches are supplied to the 

 gland; and one of these, art. pancreatica magna, arises near the left end, 

 and runs to the right in the substance of the viscus with the duct. 



Branches for the stomach arise from the divisions of the artery near the 

 spleen. Some of these, rasa brevia, turn upwards to the left end of the 

 stomach, beneath the gastro-splenic omentum, and ramify in the coats of 

 that organ. 



Another longer branch, art. gastro-epiplo'ica sinistra (f) turns to the 

 righ.t between the layers of the great omentum along the great curvature 

 of the stomach, and inosculates with the right gastro-epiplo'ic branch of the 

 hepatic artery. This artery distributes twigs to both surfaces of the 

 stomach, and between the pieces of peritoneum forming the great 

 omentum. 



c. The hepatic artery ( ( </) is intermediate in size between the other 

 two, and is encircled by the largest plexus of nerves. In its course to the 

 liver the vessel is bent first to the right towards the small end of the 

 stomach, where it supplies its principal branches (superior pyloric and 

 gastro-epiploic). It ascends then between the layers of the little omen- 

 tum, on the left side of the bile duct and vena portre, and divides near the 

 transverse fissure of the liver into two the right and left hepatic. 

 Branches are distributed not only to the liver, but freely to the stomach, 

 the duodenum, and the pancreas, as below : 



The superior pyloric branch (0) descends to the upper border of the 

 stomach, and running from right to left anastomoses with the coronary 

 artery; it distributes small arterial twigs on both surfaces of the stomach. 



The right gastro-epiplo'ic branch (h) 1 (art. gast. epiploica dextra) de- 



1 This artery is named commonly Castro-duodenal as far as to the spot where it 

 gives off the branch to the duodenum and pancreas. 



