
184 ANATOMY OF THE RABBIT. 
The coeliac artery (a. coeliaca) is a short trunk, its first main 
branch, the splenic artery, being given off near its origin from the 
aorta. The remaining portion of the vessel passes to the right in 
the direction of the lesser curvature, and divides into two 
parts, the left gastric and hepatic arteries. Small vessels, the 
inferior phrenic arteries (aa. phrenicae inferiores), are given off 
from the anterior wall of the coeliac and are distributed to the 
diaphragm. The distribution of the main branches is as follows: 
(a) The splenic artery (a. lienalis) passes in the direction of the 
spleen, giving off small branches (r.r. pancreatici) to the 
pancreas and one or more large vessels, the short gastric 
arteries (aa. gastricae breves), to the left portion of the 
greater curvature. Passing along the concave surface, or 
hilus, of the spleen it gives off several splenic branches 
(rr. lienales) to that organ, and also several more branches, 
comparable to the short gastric arteries; to the greater 
curvature. Toward the end of the spleen the artery passes 
into the greater omentum, and at this point there is given off 
a large vessel, the left gastroepiploic artery (a. gastroe- 
piploica sinistra), which passes to the right on the greater 
curvature and anastomoses with the right gastroepiploic 
artery. 
The gastrosplenic ligament, together with its vessels, may be 
divided, the spleen being allowed to fall backward toward the 
intestine. 
(b) The left gastric artery (a- gastrica sinistra) forms a short 
trunk, or more commonly a group of vessels, the branches 
of which pass in a somewhat radiate manner toward the 
lesser curvature of the stomach, reaching in this way both 
dorsal and ventral surfaces. Two larger vessels appear on 
the ventral surface respectively to the right and left of the 
cardia. That on the left distributes small branches (rr. 
oesophagei) to the oesphagus, while that on the right bears 
a small pyloric branch which anastomoses across the lesser 
curvature with the right gastric artery. 
The chief nerves of the coeliac plexus accompany the branches of 
the artery to the stomach where they connect with the terminal rami- 
fications of the vagus (p. 185). 
