122 HANDBOOK OF ANATOMY 



The Transverse Colon (length about 20 inches) which forms 

 a loop across the abdomen. It passes in front of the duodenum 

 and pancreas and behind the stomach ; it then passes upwards 

 and backwards until it reaches the base of the spleen, where it 

 forms the splenic flexure by turning sharply downwards and 

 becoming 



The Descending 1 Colon (length about 6 inches). It lies on 

 the front of the left kidney, then in the groove between psoas 

 and quadratus lumborum. It is covered by coils of small 

 intestine. 



' The Sigrnoid Flexure, or iliac and pelvic colons, are the con- 

 tinuation of the descending colon. The latter ends at the iliac 

 crest and is continued as the iliac colon, which crosses the left 

 iliac fossa; then entering the true pelvis crosses over to the 

 right and back to the middle line, where it is continued as the 

 rectum, beginning at the level of the third sacral vertebra. 



The Rectum is the dilated end of the large intestine, ending in 

 the anal canal, at a point just below the level of the tip of the 

 coccyx and 1J inches in front of it. It is an S- shaped organ 

 about 6 inches long, and closely follows the curve of the sacrum. 

 The anal canal is about 1 inch long, and is a slit-like passage 

 passing between the two levator ani muscles, which, joining in 

 the middle line, form the floor of the* pelvis. 



The Digestive Glands consist of the salivary glands, of which 

 there are three pairs ; the liver; and the pancreas. 



The Parotid Gland, the largest of the three, lies in a hollow 

 just in front of the ear. Above, it reaches up to the zygoma 

 and is intimately associated with the temporo-mandibular 

 joint. Anteriorly, a process of the gland passes forwards over 

 the masseter muscle. It extends as far down as the angle 

 of the jaw and slightly backwards over the sterno-mastoid 

 muscle. 



The duct (Stenson's) leaves the gland at the anterior border, 

 passes forwards over the masseter, and pierces the buccinator to 

 reach the inside of the mouth. 



The facial nerve passes through the parotid gland and in its 

 substance breaks up into branches. 



The Submaxillary Gland is the next largest ; it lies in a recess 



