230 HUMAN ANATOMY. 



In addition to the folds seen in the antero-posterior section, 

 the peritoneum passes between the various organs, and also lat- 

 erally to the sides of the abdominal and pelvic cavities. In this 

 manner are formed the right, left, and suspensory ligaments of 

 the liver, the suspensory ligament of the spleen, the broad liga- 

 ment of the uterus, and the three great ligaments or omenta of 

 the stomach the gastro-hepatic, gastro-splenic, and gastro-colic 

 (already described) and the mesenteries. 



The latter, the mesenteries, include the mesentery proper, 

 mesoca?cum; ascending, transverse, and descending mesocolon; 

 sigmoid mesocolon, and mesorectum. 



The mesentery proper is a broad fold, reflected from the 

 vertebra around the jejunum and ileum. Its base, attached ob- 

 liquely from the left side of the second lumbar vertebra to the 

 right iliac region, measures about six inches, while its expanded 

 extremity is quite considerable. 



In the male the recto-vesical folds, one on each side, pass 

 from the rectum to the bladder, including between them the 

 recto-vesical pouch. In the female, however, this pouch is 

 divided into two the recto-uterine and vesi co-uterine pouches, 

 the recto-vesical folds being called recto-uterine and vesico- 

 uterine folds. Folds of peritoneum (superior false ligaments 

 of the bladder) ascend from the bladder to the umbilicus, in- 

 closing the remains of the foetal urachus and hypogastric arteries, 

 and also a fold on each side follows the course of the epigastric 

 arteries toward the umbilicus, dividing the inguinal region into 

 the internal, middle, and external inguinal fossse. The peri- 

 toneum at the external inguinal fossa (corresponding to the 

 internal abdominal ring) is continuous in the male foetus with 

 the tunica vaginalis testis, and in the female forms a blind 

 sac about the round ligament the canal of Nuck. 



Viscera Partly Invested by Peritoneum. 



Vagina upper part; 



Bladder posterior wall ; 



Duodenum descending and transverse portions; 



Caecum ; 



Colon ascending and descending; 



Rectum middle portion. 



Viscera Entirely or Almost Entirely Covered. 



Stomach, Sigmoid flexure, 



Spleen, Rectum upper part, 



Ileum, Liver, 



Jejunum, Uterus, 



Colon transverse, Ovaries. 



