GREAT COLON- 



309 



three flexures or bends. In tracing its course, these four divisions 

 present themselves thus. Leaving the arch of the caecum in the 

 right lumbar region, it passes obliquely forwards to the posterior 

 surface of the diaphragm in the epigastric region, where it turns 

 round to the left, forming the first or sternal flexure. Here the 

 second division orisfinates, and in contact with the inferior ab- 



FlG. 103. 

 Cfecum and Great Colon of a Horse, a, Caecum ; 6, c, Its muscular bauds ; d, Termination of the 

 ileum ; e, First, e', Second,/, Third, and /', Fourth division of colon ; cj, Pelvic flexure ; h, Origin of 

 Floating Colon. The arrows indicate the course of the food through the colon. 



dominal walls, it runs backwards to the hypogastric region, where 

 it is doubled upon itself, forming the second, sigmoid or 'pelvic 

 flexure. From this flexure, the third portion passes forwards, 

 above and to the left of the second, to which it is attached by 

 cellular tissue and peritoneum, reaches the diaphragm, and is 

 inflected upwards to the right, forming the third or dlaphrag- 

 inatic flexure, which is in relation with and below the liver and 



