THE LIVER. 379 



presents a number of solitary glands, especially in the 

 caecum and ascending colon. 



THE LIVER. 



The liver is the largest gland in the body ; it is situ- 

 ated in the right hypochondriac, but extends across the 

 epigastric into the left hypochondriac region ; it is of a 

 dark reddish-brown color, weighs about three and one- 

 half pounds, is dense, but friable, and measures about 

 twelve inches long, three inches at its thickest part, and 

 six inches in its greatest breadth ; it is a semi-ovoidal 

 organ, smooth and convex above, flattened and some- 

 what irregular below, the large part of the oval being 

 to the right. Superiorly it is divided by the suspensory 

 ligament into a large right and a small left lobe ; infe- 

 riorly it presents five lobes and five fissures, practically 

 between the right and left lobes. The anterior border 

 is thin ; it presents a deep notch between the right and 

 left lobes ; the posterior border is thick and rounded, 

 and is held to the diaphragm by the layers of the coro- 

 nary ligament. 



The upper surface of the liver is on a level with 

 the fifth rib ; the anterior border corresponds with the 

 inferior border of the chest. The liver changes its posi- 

 tion slightly during respiration, descending in inspiration 

 and rising a trifle higher in expiration. It has five lobes, 

 five ligaments, five fissures, and five sets of vessels. 



The lobes are the right and left, and between them, 

 on the inferior surface, are the quadrate, Spigelian, and 

 caudate lobes. The right lobe forms seven-eighths 

 of the mass of the liver; it is quadrangular in form, 

 convex on the superior surface, flattened below, and pre- 

 sents a shallow, anterior depression for the colon ; poste- 

 riorly it is impressed by the right kidney. The left lobe 



