266 ABDOMEN 



zone, into a central umbilical region and a right and a left 

 lumbar region \ and the hypogastric zone, into a central 

 hypogastric region and a right and a left iliac region. 



Contents of Abdomen Proper. The following structures 

 lie within the upper section of the abdominal cavity. 



( Stomach. 



1. Abdominal part of the alimentary canal, -j Small intestine. 



(Large intestine. 



2. Glands situated outside the^j 



walls of the alimentary canal I Liver, with its gall-bladder or reservoir, 

 and pouring their secretions j Pancreas, 

 into it. J 



3. The spleen. 



4. The two kidneys, the ureters, and the two suprarenal glands. 



5. Lymph glands, lymph vessels, the cisterna chyli, and the commence- 



ment of the thoracic duct. 



6. The abdominal aorta, with its various visceral and parietal branches. 



7. The inferior vena cava and its tributaries, and the commencements 



of the vena azygos and vena hemiazygos. 



8. The vena portoe and its tributaries. 



9. The lumbar plexuses of nerves. 



10. The abdominal portions of the sympathetic nervous system. 



11. The peritoneal membrane, which lines the cavity and invests the 



viscera. 



When the abdominal cavity is opened, a very partial view 

 of the contained viscera is obtained, so long as they are left 

 undisturbed. On the right side of the costal zone the sharp 

 margin of the liver may be observed, projecting slightly below 

 the ribs, whilst, opposite the ninth costal cartilage, the fundus 

 of the gall-bladder is seen, peeping out from under cover of 

 the liver, and projecting slightly beyond its anterior border. 

 In the same zone, to the left of the liver, a portion of the 

 stomach is visible, and extending downwards from the greater 

 curvature or anterior border of the stomach is a broad apron- 

 like fold of peritoneal membrane, called the greater omentum. 

 The greater omentum usually contains a quantity of fat in its 

 meshes, and is spread out like an apron, so as to hide from 

 view the 'viscera which occupy the lower two zones. Some- 

 times, however, the greater omentum is narrow and short ; or 

 it may be turned more or less completely upwards or to one 

 side. In either case some of the coils of the small intestine 

 will be seen, and also, in all probability, those parts of the 

 large intestine which occupy the right and left iliac fossae. 

 The part lying in the right iliac fossa is called the ccecum, 

 whilst the part situated in the left iliac fossa is the iliac colon. 

 It may also chance that the urinary bladder is full, in which 



