THE LIVER. 937 



The right lobe is much larger than the left ; the proportion between them being 

 as six to one. It occupies the right hypochondrium, and is separated from the left 

 lobe, on its upper and anterior surfaces by the falciform ligament ; on its under and 

 posterior surfaces by the longitudinal fissure ; and in front by the umbilical notch. 

 It is of a somewhat quadrilateral form, its under and posterior surfaces being 

 marked by three fissures the transverse fissure, the fissure for the gall-bladder, and 

 the fissure for the inferior vena cava, which separate its left part into three smaller 

 lobes lobus Spigelii, lobus quadratus, and lobus caudatus. On it are seen four 

 shallow impressions, one in front (impressio colica), for the hepatic flexure of the 

 colon ; a second behind (impressio renalis\ for the right kidney ; a third internal, 

 between the last-named and the gall-bladder (impressio duodenalis), for the second 

 part of the duodenum ; and a fourth on its posterior surface, for the suprarenal 

 capsule (impressio suprarenal is). 



The lobus quadratus, or square lobe, is situated on the under surface of the 

 right lobe, bounded in front by the inferior margin of the liver ; behind by the 

 transverse fissure ; on the right, by the fissure of the gall-bladder ; and on the left 

 by the umbilical fissure. 



The lobus Spigelii is situated upon the posterior surface of the right lobe of the 

 liver. It looks directly backward, and is nearly vertical in direction. It is 

 bounded, above, by the upper layer of the coronary ligament ; below, by the 

 transverse fissure ; on the right, by the fissure for the vena cava ; and, on the left, 

 by the fissure for the ductus venosus. Its left upper angle forms part of the groove 

 for the oesophagus. 



The lobus caudatus, or tailed lobe, is a small elevation of the hepatic substance 

 extending obliquely outward, from the lower extremity of the lobus Spigelii to the 

 under surface of the right lobe. It is situated behind the transverse fissure, and 

 separates the fissure for the gall-bladder from the commencement of the fissure for 

 the inferior vena cava. 



The left lobe is smaller and more flattened than the right. It is situated in the 

 epigastric and left hypochondriac regions. Its upper surface is slightly convex ; 

 its under surface is concave, and presents a shallow depression for the stomach 

 (gastric impression). This is situated in front of the groove for the oesophagus, and 

 is separated from the longitudinal fissure by the omental tuberosity, which lies 

 against the small omentum and lesser curvature of the stomach. 



Ligaments. The liver is connected to the under surface of the Diaphragm and 

 the anterior wall of the abdomen by five ligaments, four of which are peritoneal 

 folds ; the fifth is a round, fibrous cord, resulting from the obliteration of the 

 umbilical vein. These ligaments are the falciform, two lateral, coronary, and 

 round. It is also attached to the lesser curvature of the stomach by the gastro- 

 hepatic or small omentum (see page 902). 



The falciform ligament (broad or suspensory ligament) is a broad and thin 

 antero-posterior peritoneal fold, falciform in shape, its base being directed down- 

 ward and backward, its apex upward and backward. It is attached by one margin 

 to the under surface of the Diaphragm, and the posterior surface of the sheath of 

 the right Rectus muscle as low down as the umbilicus ; by its hepatic margin it 

 extends from the notch on the anterior margin of the liver, as far back as its 

 posterior surface. It consists of two layers of peritoneum closely united together. 

 Its base or free edge contains the round ligament between its layers. 



The lateral ligaments (Fig. 511), two in number, right and left, are triangular 

 in shape. They are formed by the apposition of the upper and lower layers of the 

 coronary ligament, and extend from the Diaphragm to the liver the right being 

 attached to the border between its lateral and inferior surfaces, the left, the longer 

 of the two, to the upper surface of the left lobe, where it lies in front of the 

 oesophageal opening in the Diaphragm. 



The coronary ligament connects the posterior surface of the liver to the Dia- 

 phragm. It is formed by the reflection of the peritoneum from the Diaphragm on 

 to the upper and lower margins of the posterior surface of the organ. The coro- 



