230 ANATOMY OF THE ABDOMEN. 



external appears to be a continuation of the outer one 

 of the oesophagus, strengthened by additional fibres ; 

 which, spreading over the lesser curvature, carry them- 

 selves obliquely around the stomach ; where they conspi- 

 cuously form themselves into a kind of vortex encircling the 

 central part of the fundus. The inner layer, and the more 

 abundant, is not quite circular in its direction, but slightly 

 oblique, intersecting the course of the longitudinal fibres ; 

 it is very thick and strong around the oesophageal extre- 

 mity ; it altogether exhibits so much structural speciality, 

 as to warrant a conclusion that it was purposely placed 

 there to prevent the return of the food. 



The inner surface of the stomach is composed of mucous 

 membrane. This membrane, as it extends over the interior 

 of the viscus, assumes two characters ; the one being hard, 

 and called cuticular {Fig 23 . C) ; the other, being soft, 

 having numerous fine projections like the pile of velvet, 

 and is termed villous {Fig 23 . F) . 



The cuticular coat is a prolongation of that which, com- 

 mencing with the mouth, extends down the oesophagus, is 

 continued over nearly the first half of the stomach, and 

 ends abruptly by a sort of sudden termination, which sepa- 

 rates it very distinctly from the villous coat. From the 

 pharynx to its termination, the mucous lining membrane is 

 phcated, to admit of distention : thus the plicse of the 

 oesophagus are continued into the cardiac orifice, and in a 

 less regular manner also over the cuticular surface of the 

 stomach. The cuticular covering is whitish in colour, and 

 is perforated with secretory mucous openings ; whence a 

 mucous secretion, necessary to perfect digestion, is poured 

 out. It is to this coat of the stomach that hots are so fre- 

 quently found adhering, and which they sometimes pene- 

 trate ; though these parasites also attack the other parts. 



The villous portion commences from the termination of 

 the cuticular part. It is at once soft, vascular, and ex- 

 ceedingly fine in its texture : and, when attentively examined, 

 presents innumerable villi, or projections, which probably are 

 the minute ramifications of the bloodvessels, by which the 

 solvent gastric fluid is secreted. The surface of the villous 

 coat is likewise furnished with waving folds, by which it 

 suffers no injurious pressure when the stomach is filled ; but 



