LYMPHATIC VESSELS OF ABDOMINAL AXD PELVIC VISCERA 795 



around the superior hemorrhoidal artery; and (c) a pararectal group in contact 

 with the muscle coat of the rectum. The/r afferents drain the descending colon, 

 sigmoid flexure, and upper portion of the rectum; their efferents pass to the pre- 

 iiortic nodes. 



LEFT VAGUS 

 NERVE 



RIGHT CASTRO 

 EPIPLOIC ARTERY 



SUBPY LORIC 

 NODE 



CORONARY 

 VEIN 



NODES OF THE 

 LESSER CURVATURE 



RIGHT GASTRO- 

 EPiPUOIC VEIN 



Fin. 570. General view of the subperitoneal lymphatic plexus of the stomach prepared by the method of 



Gerota. (Cune'o.) 



The Lymphatic Vessels of the Abdominal and Pelvic Viscera. 



These consist of: (1) Those of the subdiaphragmatic portion of the alimentary 

 canal and its associated glands, the liver and pancreas; (2) those of the spleen 

 and suprarenal bodies; (3) those of the urinary organs; (4) those of the repro- 

 ductive organs. 



1 . The lymphatic vessels of the subdiaphragmatic portion of the alimentary 

 canal are situated partly in the mucosa and partly in the seromuscular coats, 

 l)ii t as the former system drains into the latter, the two may be considered as one. 



The lymphatic vessels of the stomach (Fig. 570) are continuous at the cardiac 

 nd with those of the oesophagus, and at the pyloric end with those of the duo- 

 denum. They mainly follow the bloodvessels, and may be arranged in four sets. 

 Those of the first set accompany the branches of the gastric artery, receiving 

 tributaries from a large area on either surface of the stomach, and terminate 

 in the nodes of the gastric chain. Those of the second set drain the fundus of 

 the stomach, draining the area supplied by the vasa brevia and left gastroepiploic 

 arteries, and ending in the splenic nodes. The vessels of the third set drain 



