ABDOMINAL CAVITY 345 



hardening reagent. It may be described as consisting of a 

 head, a neck, a body, and a tail. 



The head of the pancreas is the flattened portion of the 

 gland which lies in front of the vertebral column and occupies 

 the concavity of the duodenum. Posteriorly it is in relation 

 with the inferior vena cava and to some extent also with the 

 aorta. Its anterior surface is crossed by the transverse colon. 

 As a rule its marginal lobules show a tendency to extend over 

 the anterior surface of the descending and inferior parts of the 

 duodenum so as to overlap the gut in the vicinity of its con- 

 cavity. Certain other relations may be noticed in connec- 

 tion with the head of the pancreas, viz., (i) the bile-duct 

 passes down behind it, in close relation to the second part 

 of the duodenum ; (2) the pyloric part of the stomach lies 

 in front of it, above the transverse colon ; (3) its lower part, 

 the undnate process, is prolonged to the left, along the upper 

 border of the inferior part of the duodenum, behind the superior 

 mesenteric vessels, and then upwards behind the neck of the 

 pancreas ; (4) the vena portae is formed in front of the up- 

 turned part of the uncinate process and behind the neck of the 

 pancreas. 



The neck of the pancreas (Symington) is a narrow, constricted 

 portion of gland -substance which springs from the anterior 

 aspect of the head, nearer its upper than its lower margin. 

 It constitutes the link of connection between the head and 

 the body of the pancreas, and, as it proceeds to the left and 

 forwards, it lies in front of the commencement of the vena 

 portae and of the termination of the superior mesenteric 

 vein. Those vessels intervene between the neck and the 

 anterior surface of the upper part of the uncinate process. 

 The left part of the anterior surface of the neck is covered 

 by the layer of peritoneum which forms the posterior wall of 

 the omental bursa, and it is usually somewhat depressed by 

 the pyloric end of the stomach, which rests upon it. The 

 right part of the anterior surface is separated from the 

 superior part of the duodenum by the gastro-duodenal artery. 



The body of the pancreas extends from the anterior and left 

 extremity of the neck, backwards and to the left, and slightly 

 upwards, across the lower part of the left suprarenal gland, 

 and the front of the left kidney, to the short tail, which lies 

 in relation with the spleen. It presents anterior, inferior, and 

 posterior surfaces, which are separated from each other by 



