THE PERITONEUM 197 



reflected forwards from the sides of the rectum over the 

 obliterated hypogastric artery and ureter,lformingthe/>osten'or 

 false ligament of the bladder. 



From the apex of the bladder the peritoneum passes upwards 

 on to the anterior abdominal wall, enclosing the remains of 

 the urachus and constituting the anterior false ligament of the 

 bladder ; whilst laterally it is reflected from the bladder along 

 the line of the obliterated hypogastric artery to the iliac fossa, 

 forming the lateral false ligaments of that viscus. Where the 

 obliterated hypogastric artery passes between the abdominal 

 wall and the side of the bladder it raises the peritoneum into 

 a fold, which separates two shallow fossae, the internal and 

 external inguinal fosses, which correspond respectively to the 

 internal and external abdominal rings. 



In the female the peritoneum is reflected from the sides 

 and front of the rectum to the upper part of the posterior 

 wall of the vagina, and thence over posterior, upper, and 

 anterior surfaces of the uterus to the bladder. Between the 

 uterus and rectum is the recto-vaginal or Douglas's pouch, 

 corresponding to the recto-vesical pouch in the male. The 

 peritoneum passes off from the lateral margins of the uterus 

 to the pelvic wall, forming the broad ligaments, in the upper 

 border of which folds the Fallopian tubes run, the peri- 

 toneum being continuous with their open fimbriated ex- 

 tremities. 



In the upper part of the abdomen the peritoneum is 

 attached to the under surface of the diaphragm as far back- 

 wards as the posterior surface of the liver, and the oesophageal 

 opening of the stomach. It is then reflected forwards on the 

 upper surface of the liver, forming the ligaments of that 

 organ ; and passing round the anterior border it is applied to 

 the under surface as far as the transverse fissure, where, 

 meeting a peritoneal layer from the posterior surface (from 

 the smaller sac), the two descend to the stomach to form 

 the small or gastro-hepatic omentum. Tracing it to the 

 right from the longitudinal fissure, it invests the gall-bladder, 

 under surface of the right lobe, and the front of the 2nd part 

 of the duodenum, passing to the anterior surface of the right 

 kidney, where it becomes continuous with the part already 

 traced. To the left of the longitudinal fissure the peritoneum 

 covers the left lobe of the liver, and is reflected over the front 

 of the cardiac end and fundus of the stomach, whence it passes 

 off to invest the spleen, forming a reduplicature, the gastro- 

 splenic omentum. From the spleen it is continued over the 

 anterior surface of the left kidney, forming the posterior 



