40 LYMPHATICS AND NERVES OF THE STOMACH. 



ture, and has been called the right gastro-epiploic, and another 

 from the spleen, which passes along the left portion of the 

 great curvature, and has been called the left gastro-epiploic. 

 In addition to these branches, the splenic artery, before it 

 enters the spleen, sends off several small arteries to the great 

 extremity of the stomach, which are called vasa brevia. 



These vasa brevia generally arise from the main trunk of 

 the splenic artery, but sometimes from its branches. 



The veins which receive the % blood from these arteries have 

 similar names, and pursue corresponding courses backwards: 

 but they terminate in the vena portarum. 



The absorbent vessels of the stomach are very numerous 

 and large : they pass to the glands which are on the two curva- 

 tures, and from tnence to the thoracic duct. It is an important 

 fact relative to the history of digestion, that there are good 

 reasons for doubting whether chyle commonly passes through 

 them, notwithstanding their number and size.* 



The nerves of the stomach are derived from the two great 

 branches of the par vagum nerves which accompany the oesopha- 

 gus and are mostly spent upon this organ, and from branches 

 of several plexuses, which are formed from the splanchnic por- 

 tions of the intercostal nerves. 



The par vagum nerves form a plexus round the cardiac 

 orifice, and are distributed, the left on the anterior, and the 

 right on the posterior face of the stomach. 



These nerves can be traced into the muscular coat of the 

 stomach, and some of them as far as the duodenum. 

 The section of these nerves, paralizes the muscular coat of 

 the stomach. They serve to connect the stomach, function- 

 ally, with the oesophagus, the pharynx, larynx, lungs and 

 heart. The nerves which the stomach receives from the plex- 

 uses of the abdomen, in like manner connect it with the 

 abdominal viscera. 



* Sabatier, however, in one subject observed white lines on the stomach, 

 which he suspected to be lacteals. See his account of the absorbents of the 

 stomach. 



