NATURAL THEOLOGY. 203 



3. The liver is fastened in the body by two 

 ligaments: the first, which is large and strong, 

 comes from the covering of the diaphragm, and 

 penetrates the substance of the hver; the second 

 is the umbilical vein, which, after birth, degene- 

 rates into a ligament. The first, which is the prin- 

 cipal, fixes the liver in its situation whilst the 

 body holds an erect posture ; the second prevents 

 it from pressing upon the diaphragm w^hen we lie 

 down ; and both together sling or suspend the 

 liver when we lie upon our backs, so that it may 

 not compress or obstruct the ascending vena 

 cava,* to which belongs the important oflice of 

 returning the blood from the body to the heart. 



4. The bladder is tied to the navel by the ura- 

 chus, transformed into a ligament: thus, what was 

 a passage for urine to the foetus, becomes, after 

 birth, a support or stay to the bladder. The pe- 

 ritonaeum also keeps the viscera from confound- 

 ing themselves with, or pressing irregularly upon, 

 the bladder ; for the kidneys and bladder are con- 

 tained in a distinct duplicalure of that membrane, 

 being thereby partitioned off from the other con- 

 tents of the abdomen. 



5. The kidneys are lodged in a bed of fat. 



6. The pancreas, or sweetbread, is strongly 

 tied to the peritonaeum, which is the great wrap- 

 ping sheet, that encloses all the bowels contained 

 in the lower belly.f 



* Ches. Anat. p. 162. f Keill's Anat. p. 57. 



