THE SPLENIC ARTERY. 461 



of the left kidney, and divides near the spleen into several branches, which are dis- 

 tributed to that organ and to the left portion of the stomach. 



Branches. (a) Pancreatic branches, variable in size and number, are given off 

 while the artery is passing along the pancreas, the body and tail of which they 

 supply. One of larger size not unfrequently runs from left to right in the direction 

 of the pancreatic duct, and is called arteria pancreatica magna. 



(b) The splenic branches are five or six, or even more, in number, and vary in 

 length and size ; they pass between the layers of the lieno-renal ligament, and enter 

 the spleen by the hilum on its anterior surface to ramify within that organ. 



(c) The short gastric branches (vasa hrevia), from four to six in number, are 

 directed forwards in the gastro-splenic omentum, some issuing from the trunk of the 

 splenic artery, others from its terminal branches : they reach the left extremity of 

 the stomach, where they divide and spread out between its coats, communicating 

 with the coronary and left gastro-epiploic arteries. 



(d) The left gastro-ppiploic artery runs from left to right along the great curva- 



Fig. 373. THE ARTERIES OF THE STOMACH, DUODENUM, PANCREAS, AND SPLEEN. (Tiedemann. ) ^ 



The stomach and liver are turned upwards ; the jejunum is divided at its commencement : a, right 

 lobe of liver ; &, left lobe ; c, cardiac orifice of stomach. ; d, pylorus ; e, first part, /, second part, 

 and g, third part of duodenum ; h, commencement of jejunum ; i, head, and k, body of pancreas ; 

 I, spleen ; 1, 1', right and left inferior phrenic arteries passing from the aorta upon the crura of the 

 diaphragm ; 2, placed on the aorta close to the coeliac axis ; 3, 3', coronary artery ; 4, common 

 hepatic; 4', 4', proper hepatic artery and its right branch ; 4", cystic artery ; 5, 5, right gastro- 

 epiploic, and 6, superior pancreatico-duodenal, the two divisions of the gastro-duodenal ; 7, splenic 

 artery; 7', splenic branches; 7", one of the vasa brevia to the stomach ; 8, 8, left gastro-epiploic 

 artery, uniting with the right on the great curvature of the stomach ; 9, trunk of the superior 

 mesenteric artery, giving off the inferior pancreatico-duodenal ; 10, inferior raesenteric. 



ture of the stomach, supplying branches to both surfaces of the stomach and to the 

 omentum on the left side, and inosculates with the right gastro-epiploic branch from 

 the hepatic artery. 



Varieties. These are not frequent. The splenic artery has been seen to give off the 

 left hepatic artery, the middle colic artery, and in one case, together with the last, the inferior 

 mesenteric artery. 



The superior mesenteric artery (i) supplies the whole of the small intestine 

 beyond the duodenum, and half of the large intestine. It arises from the fore part 

 of the aorta, a little below the coeliac axis, and under cover of the pancreas and 



