ABDOMINAL CAVITY 



377 



toneal tissue in which it lies becomes condensed in the regions 

 above and below into indefinite fibrous lamellae, but it is 

 doubtful if these can have much effect in maintaining the 

 kidney in its place. 



Hilum of the Kidney. The medial border of each kidney 

 presents a longitudinal fissure called the hilum, for the 

 admission and egress of the vessels, nerves, lymph vessels, 

 and duct (Fig. 176). The hilum is bounded anteriorly and 

 posteriorly by thick lips, and leads into a deep recess or 

 cavity in the kidney, which is termed the renal sinus. The 

 ureter and the renal vessels pass between the lips of the hilum. 

 They will be found to have the following general relations 



Pancreatic duct 



Pancreas 



Bile-duct 



Duodenum 



Cauda equ 



Inferior vena 



cava' / 



Right kidney 



FIG. 176. Section through Abdomen at the level of the second 

 lumbar vertebra. 



from before backwards: (i) branches of the renal vein; (2) 

 branches of the renal artery ; (3) ureter or renal duct. 



Anterior Surface of the Right Kidney. The anterior 

 surface of the right kidney may present three impressions, 

 viz. a hepatic, a colic, and a duodenal. The hepatic impression^ 

 which indicates the area of contact with the inferior surface 

 of the right lobe of the liver, occupies almost the whole of the 

 upper two-thirds of the anterior surface. Over that district 

 the kidney is sometimes sunk deeply into the liver. The 

 right suprarenal gland, which rests, as a rule, on the upper 

 extremity of the right kidney, extends downwards, for a very 

 short distance, on the anterior surface of the organ, between 



