THE STOMACH. 371 



the diagram. It will thus be seen that the peritoneum 

 forms two sacs, a smaller, formed by the posterior, and 

 a larger, formed by the anterior layer. These two sacs 

 communicate behind the gastro-hepatic omen turn and may 

 be likened to an hour-glass with a smaller globe at right 

 angles to a larger. The constricted opening between 

 them is behind the gastro-hepatic omentum, and is called 

 the foramen of Winslow. The peritoneum is reflected 

 from the cardiac end of the stomach to the hilum of the 

 spleen, forming the gastro-splenic omentum, which con- 

 tains the splenic vessels and nerves. In the male the 

 peritoneum is a shut sac ; in the female the Fallopian 

 tubes open into the peritoneal cavity. The viscera 

 entirely invested by peritoneum are the liver, stomach, 

 spleen, transverse colon, upper part of duodenum, the 

 small intestine, sigmoid flexure of colon, first part of 

 rectum, ovaries, and uterus. The viscera partially in- 

 vested by peritoneum are the kidneys, supra-renal capsules, 

 pancreas, lower part of duodenum, ascending and de- 

 scending colon, caecum, second portion of rectum, 

 vagina, and bladder. The peritoneum, by its reflec- 

 tions to the viscera, forms their ligaments, and three 

 omenta, the gastro-hepatic or lesser, the greater, and 

 the gastro-splenic. 



THE STOMACH. 



The stomach is a remarkable dilatation of the alimen- 

 tary canal, and is the principal organ of digestion. When 

 distended it is conoidal in form, bent so as to present a 

 short superior concave curve and a long inferior convex 

 curvature. It measures about twelve inches long, four 

 and a half inches in its vertical diameter, and three and 

 a half inches antero-posteriorly. It weighs about five 

 ounces ; it lies transversely across the upper part of the 

 abdominal cavity, beneath the diaphragm, extending 



