ABDOMINAL CAVITY 



299 



ately above the level of the cceliac artery ; trace each medially 

 to its origin from the aorta, and laterally across the surface of 

 the corresponding cms of the diaphragm; note that the left 

 passes behind the oesophagus ; the right passes behind the 

 inferior vena cava, but the two facts cannot be demonstrated 

 until a later period. 



Clean the posterior surface of the abdominal part of the oeso- 

 phagus and secure the right vagus nerve which runs down- 

 wards upon it ; trace the branches of the vagus along the wall 

 of the stomach and towards the spleen. Finally, clean the 

 crura of the diaphragm to the level of the orifice through which 

 the oesophagus enters the abdomen. 



WKen the dissection is completed the dissector is in a position 

 to study the cceliac artery and its branches, the blood supply of 

 the stomach, and the bed of the stomach. 



FIG. 140. The Cceliac Artery and its branches. 



Arteria Coeliaca (O.T. Coeliac Axis). The cceliac artery is 

 a short, wide vessel, which springs from the front of the aorta, 

 between the two crura of the diaphragm, immediately above 

 the upper margin of the pancreas. It is directed horizontally 

 forwards, and, after a course of little more than 12*5 mm. 

 (half an inch), divides into three branches, viz. (i) the 

 left gastric ; (2) the hepatic ; and (3) the splenic which 

 radiate from each other like the spokes of a wheel. The 

 hepatic and splenic branches are large, but the left gastric 

 branch is relatively small. 



The cceliac artery is surrounded by a thick, matted plexus 

 of nerves, called the cceliac plexus, which sends numerous nerve 

 twigs with the three branches of the artery. 



