THE STOMACH 429 



polygonally-shaped depressions, which are the enlarged mouths 

 of the gastric tubular glands. These are of two kinds, called 

 pyloric and peptic glands; some are simply tubular, while 

 others have several branches opening into a common duct. 

 The pyloric glands are most numerous at the smaller end, 

 but the peptic glands are found all over the stomach, the ducts 

 of the latter being shorter. In the latter, between the base- 

 ment membrane and the lining epithelium, are numerous 

 peptic or parietal cells, the others being known as the central 

 or chief cells. Between the glands the mucous membrane 

 contains lymphoid tissue, collected here and there into little 

 masses resembling the solitary intestinal glands, and called 

 the lenticular glands. Beneath the membrane is a muscularis 

 mucosse. The arteries are: To the lesser curvature and part 

 of the anterior and posterior surfaces, the gastric artery from 

 the celiac axis, the pyloric from the hepatic ; to the greater 

 curvature and anterior and posterior surfaces, the gastro- 

 epiploica dextra, from the gastroduodenal, a branch of the 

 hepatic; the gastroepiploica sinistra from the splenic. The 

 gastric gives off a branch to the esophagus at the cardiac orifice, 

 and passing along the lesser curvature anastomoses with the 

 pyloric artery. The gastroepiploica arteries anastomose along 

 the greater curvature, supplying the great omentum. The 

 vasa brevia, 4 or 5 in number, are derived from the splenic 

 and pass to the fundus of the stomach, anastomosing thereon, 

 with the gastric and gastroepiploica sinistra arteries. The 

 veins accompany the arteries. The gastric and pyloric open 

 into the portal vein; the gastroepiploica sinistra into the splenic; 

 the gastroepiploica dextra, the superior mesenteric vein. The 

 nerves are derived from the vagus, the left supplying the antero- 

 superior surface, the right the posteroinferior surface. The 

 sympathetic filaments from the celiac plexus (solar plexus) 

 join with the vagus to form the plexus of Auerbach and 

 Meissner; the former is found in the muscular coats, the latter 

 in the submucous coat. Auerbach's plexus is formed by fibers 

 from Meissner's plexus (Gray). 



The lymphatics of the stomach are divided into: (1) The 

 gastric nodes, which drain the lower end of the esophagus 

 and the cardiac end of the stomach, emptying into the celiac 

 nodes; (2) a set that drain the fundus, draining the area supplied 

 by the vasa brevia and left gastroepiploica sinistra arteries, 



