KIDNEYS 129 



-capsule is in contact with the left cms of the diaphragm and 

 the inner border of the kidney. 



The Kidneys are a pair of organs placed on the posterior 

 wall of the abdomen, which secrete the urine : the urine is 

 carried by means of the ureter to the bladder, situated in the 

 pelvis, which opens to the exterior by means of the urethra. 



They are bean-shaped organs lying on the posterior wall 

 of the abdomen, with their long axes vertical and the hilus 

 placed towards the middle line. The position of the kidneys 

 varies somewhat with the individual, but as a rule the right 

 kidney is at a lower level than the left. The greater part of 

 the kidneys lies to the inner side of a line drawn vertically up- 

 wards from the mid-point of Poupart's ligament (this is not the 

 same as the mid-Poupart plane). The posterior surface of the 

 kidney is closely applied .to the diaphragm, psoas, and quad- 

 ratus luinborum muscles, and tendon of transversalis in front 

 of the twelfth rib and transverse processes of the first three 

 lumbar vertebrae. The lower end is usually from 1J to 2 

 inches above the crest of the ilium, and is farther from the 

 middle line than the upper. The kidneys lie entirely behind 

 the peritoneum, and are held in position by a quantity of fat. 

 The kidney is slightly rotated in position so that the hilus pro- 

 jects forward. 



On the upper end of each kidney is a ductless gland, the 

 suprarenal capsule (described above). 



The relations of the anterior surface differ on the two 

 kidneys. The right kidney has on its anterior surface, above 

 and internally, the suprarenal capsule. Below that a large 

 part of the surface is in contact with the visceral portion of 

 the liver, and below that the kidney is in contact with the 

 duodenum and the beginning of the transverse colon. 



On the anterior surface of the left kidney, above and inter- 

 nally, is the impression of the suprarenal capsule ; just below is 

 a small surface in contact with the stomach, and below again 

 the pancreatic surface. To the right of these there is the gastric 

 surface, and the lower end is in contact with the jejunum in- 

 ternally and the transverse colon externally. 



At the hilus below the renal artery is the pelvis of the> 



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