424 SPLANCHNOLOGY, OR ANATOMY OF THE VISCERA 



diaphragm as far back as the esophageal opening, and near 

 that opening meets the process of the lesser sac, which lies on 

 the posterior surface of the liver. It passes to the liver, forming 

 the superior layers of the lateral and coronary ligaments. 

 At the anterior border of the liver it is reflected on to its under 

 surface, and at the transverse fissure it meets the posterior 

 layer of the lesser or gastrohepatic omentum from the lesser 

 sac, and passes with it to the lesser curvature of the stomach 

 as the anterior layer, thus completing the lesser omentum. 

 Thence it passes over the anterior surface of the stomach 

 to the greater curvature, then down to the greater omentum. 



To the right from the quadrate lobe it invests the gall- 

 bladder to a variable degree, the under surface of the right 

 lobe of the liver passing back to the posterior surface of the 

 liver as far as the coronary and right lateral ligaments, of 

 which it forms the lower layer (the layers are separated by 

 a considerable space). It then turns down over the diaphragm 

 to the front of the second portion of the duodenum, and the 

 upper part of the right kidney, forming here the fold known 

 as the hepatorenal ligament. Lastly, it invests the hepatic 

 flexure of the colon, and proceeds to the right colon in the 

 manner previously described. 



To the left it covers the entire under surface of the left 

 lobe of the liver back to the left lateral ligament, of which it 

 forms the inferior layer; there it turns down on the diaphragm, 

 to the left of the esophageal opening. 



Tracing to the left the anterior layer of the lesser omentum, 

 the peritoneum covers the front and left side of the esophagus 

 and left end of the stomach, passing thence to invest the spleen, 

 and forming the anterior layer of the gastrosplenic omentum. 

 Passing from the diaphragm to the stomach to the left of the 

 gullet, there is formed the gastrophrenic fold or ligament, 

 and between the diaphragm and splenic flexure the costocolic 

 ligament. 



The lesser sac of the peritoneum is a process which lines the 

 space bounded by the posterior and inferior surfaces of the 

 Spigelian lobe of the liver and the posterior wall of the stomach 

 and the upper surface of the transverse colon. It communi- 

 cates with the greater sac by means of the foramen of Winslow, 

 which is bounded in front by the lesser omentufh, with the 

 portal vein and hepatic artery and duct between its layers, 



