THE ORGANS OF DIGESTION 



187 



THE (ESOPHAGUS. 



The oesophagus extends from pharynx to stomach, and is 

 9 inches long. It begins at the lower border of cricoid 

 cartilage opposite the 5th cervical vertebra, and ends opposite 

 the loth dorsal. 



Course and relations : 



In the neck : passes downwards and to the left. 



In Front. 

 Trachea. 

 Thyroid gland. 

 Left recurrent 



1 a r y n g e a 1 



nerve. 



Behind. 

 Vertebrae. 

 Left longus 

 colli muscle. 



Left Sidt. 

 Left inferior thy- 

 roid. 



Left carotid. 

 Left subclavian. 

 Thoracic duct. 



Right Side. 

 Right carotid. 

 Right recurrent 



1 a r y n g e a 1 



nerve. 



In the chest. In the superior mediastinum passes down- 

 wards to the right to reach middle line opposite 5th dorsal 

 vertebra. 



In the posterior mediastinum : passes forwards and down- 

 wards to the left, with the two pneumogastrics, which form 

 a plexus on its surface ; the left nerve is anterior, and the 

 right is posterior. 



Behind. 



In Front. 

 Left carotid artery. Longus colli. 

 bifurcation of Vertebra. 



trachea. Thoracic duct. 



Right pulmonary Venae azygo 



artery. 



Left bronchus. 

 Left recurrent laryn- vessels. 



geal nerve. Aorta (below). 



Pericardium and left 



auricle. 

 1 liaphragm. 



inores. 



Right intercostal Thoracic aorta. 

 Left pleura. 



Left Side. Right Side. 



Left subclavian Right pleura. 



artery. Vena azygos 



Left pneumogas- major. 



trie nerve. 

 Arch of aorta. 



In the abdomen : passes through cesophageal opening in 

 diaphragm opposite the disc between the gth and roth dorsal 

 vertebrse, to end at the cardiac opening of the stomach 

 opposite the loth dorsal vertebra. 



THE STOMACH. 



Form : conical, with base or fundus to left side ; the upper 

 border is concave, and is called the lesser curvature ; the 

 lower border is convex, and is named the greater curvature. 

 The left extremity is known as the fundus, above and to the 

 right of which is the cardiac orifice, and the right or small 

 end is termed the pyloric extremity. 



