THE VESSELS. 343 



superior ven. bronchial, sinistra. It receives vv. cesophagece, mediastin. 

 and pericardiacecB, 



596. C. The cava inferior s. ascendens. 



Origin : before the cartilage between the fourth and fifth lumbar 

 vertebra, behind and to the right of the bifurcation of aorta abdo- 

 minalis, by the junction of the two vv. iliaccs. Course : vertical 

 from the fourth lumbar to the ninth dorsal vertebra ; on the inferior 

 surface of the liver curved rather forwards and to the right towards 

 the posterior portion of the right longitudinal fossa, it passes behind 

 this through foram. quadrilaierum of the diaphragm, immediately 

 (half an inch to three quarters of an inch) into the pericardium, 

 and there horizontally forwards and to the left into the inferior 

 posterior part of atrium dextrum. 



Situation: to the right on the anterior surface of the bodies of the vertebra, 

 to the right of the aorta, behind the peritonaeum, the inferior horizontal portion 

 of the duodenum, the pancreas ; before m. psoas and the right crus of the 

 diaphragm ; above in a semi-canal of the liver. Without valves, except valv. 

 Eustachii at its mouth. Collateral branches correspond to the distribution of 

 the branches of aorta abdominalis, with the exception of art. coeliaca and me- 

 sentericee (see the portal vein) ; they are : 



1. Vv. lumbales and lumbalis ascendens. 



2. Vv. spermaticcB. a. Testiculares et epididymece, anastomosing with the 

 vv. pudenda they form a plexus spermaticus (s. pampiniformis), and with 

 vas deferens and the art. spermatic, the spermatic cord. They leave 

 the vas deferens on its entrance into the pelvis, and pass along the m. 

 psoas (with art. sperm.) to ven. cava inf. [the right] and v. renalis [the 

 left]; the left behind sigmoid flexure (therefore frequently varicose [?]'). 

 b. Ovariccs, from the ovary, uterus, ligg. rotund. ; they form, like vv. 

 testiculares, a plexus pampiniform. at the orifice. 



3. Vv. renales, the right is shorter and passes more obliquely upwards 

 than the left, which receives the spermatica sinistra, and passes over in 

 front of the aorta. 



4. Vv. suprarenales. 



5. Umbilicalis (see $ 559).' 



6. Vv. phrenicce inferiores, two for each art. phrenica. 



7. Vv. hepaticcB, arise from the capillary rete formed by vena portce and 

 art. hepatica in the lobules of the liver, open with eight to ten small 

 trunks along the fossa vence caves, with two to three larger from the 

 right and left lobes of the liver close under the foramen quadrilaterum, 

 at an acute angle into the vena cava. They pass from before backwards 

 (crossing also with the branches of v. portcs and art. hepatica), are not 

 placed in a fibrous sheath, and are perforated like a sieve in their inte- 

 rior by the minute veins opening into them. 



