67 



44. The Intestines are covered with the omen turn 

 or cawl, which is contained within the peritoneum, a 

 very thin, soft, double membrane, and wholly consists 

 of little bags of fat. Its use is to keep the intestines 

 warm, to promote their peristaltic motion by lubri- 

 cating them with its oily substance, by following them 

 in their, doublings and windings, to serve them as a 

 bolster to slide upon, and by filling up their hollows, 

 to prevent their being too much distended by iiatu- 

 lencics; yet giving way to them when filled with all* 

 ments. 



Under the stomach behind lies the pancreas, (ex. 

 tended towards the spleen) which transmits to the in- 

 testines a liquor of the nature of spittle, helping to 

 dissolve the food. 



45. Under the diaphragm on the right side, lies 

 the Liver, whence it extends over tiie right part of the 

 stomach, below the sternum, toward the left,. growing 

 gradually smaller, that it may not hinder the (listen, 

 tion of the stomach. It consists partly of gall-ducts, 

 partly of fine ramifications of the veua porta. . The 

 blood contained in these, deposits oily particles in the 

 ducts, and then returns, chiefly through the vena 

 cava, to the heart. It is thus the bile is secreted, 

 for which purpose the gall-bladder also is designed. 

 This both receives and retails the bile, by which delay 

 the power of it is greatly heightened. Part of the 

 bile is conveyed to the intestines by the hepatic duct 

 which pours it into the ductus choleJochus. Part 

 goes first into the gall-bladder, thence into the ductus 

 choledocus, and then into the duodenum. 



The principal use of the bile is to absterge and sti- 

 mulate the intestines, to assimilate crude things to 

 things concocted, to bruise and blunt sharp and saline 

 particles, to divide those that are coagulated ; to ex. 

 cite appetite, to open the passages for th& chyle, 

 and where need is, act the part of a ferment. 



46. The Spleen is an elegant net-work of number- 



