194 Anatomy Applied to Medicine and Surge? y. 



the transverse fissure, and, of these, the latter is the 

 largest, and is situated on the under surface nearer the 

 posterior than the anterior border. It is about two inches 

 long and transmits the portal vein, the hepatic ducts, the 

 hepatic artery, the hepatic plexus of nerves and the lym- 

 phatics, all of which are surrounded by areolar tissue 

 Glissons' capsule. 



Structures passing to and from the transverse fissure 

 of the liver. The portal vein collects the blood from the 

 viscera of digestion by means of the gastric, the splenic and 

 the two mesenteric veins, which unite near the upper end 

 of the head of the pancreas to form the portal. It passes 

 up to the transverse fissure, is about three or four inches 

 in length, and divides near that fissure into two large 

 branches, one for each lobe. The hepatic duct is about 

 one and a half inches long and is formed by .a branch from 

 each lobe of the liver. It passes downwards and to the 

 left and unites with the cystic duct to form the common 

 bile duct. 



The hepatic artery from the cceliac axis passes for- 

 wards and to the right, and then curves upwards to the 

 liver forming the lower boundary of the foramen of 

 Winslow. It gives a branch to the gall bladder, and, on 

 reaching the transverse fissure divides into two branches, 

 one for each lobe. The hepatic plexus of nerves is formed 

 from the solar plexus, and, near the pyloric end of the stom- 

 ach this plexus is joined by branches from the left pneu- 

 mogastric nerve, while, on the upper and posterior surfaces 

 of the liver, it is connected to extensions from both the 

 phrenic plexus of the sympathetic and the phrenic nerve. 

 The lymphatics are superficial and deep. Some of the 

 former pass through the diaphragm into the anterior 

 mediastinum, some to the receptaculum chyli, and some to 

 the oesophagus, while others go to the hepatic glands in 



