408 ABDOMINAL AORTA. 



descending on the fore and back part of the organ, anastomose with branches from 

 the arterial arch on the great curvature. 



The coronary artery of the stomach is sometimes given off directly from the aorta : 

 and is occasionally replaced by two separate vessels. It sometimes furnishes an 

 additional hepatic artery. 



2. THE HEPATIC ARTERY is in the adult intermediate in size between the 

 coronary and splenic arteries, but, iu the foetus, it is the largest of the three. 

 The main part of this vessel inclines upwards and to the right side, be- 

 tween the layers of the small omentum, and in front of the foramen of 

 Winslow, towards the transverse fissure of the liver ; and in this course it 

 lies upon the vena portse and to the left of the bile-duct. 



Near the transverse fissure of the liver, the hepatic artery divides into 

 right and left branches, which supply the corresponding lobes of that organ. 

 The left, the smaller division, lying in front of the vena portse, diverges at 

 an acute angle from the other branch, and turns outwards to reach the left 

 extremity of the transverse fissure of the liver, where it enters that organ. 



The right hepatic artery inclines outwards to the right extremity of the 

 transverse fissure, and divides into two or three branches before entering 

 the liver. The ramifications of the hepatic artery in the liver accompany 

 the divisions of the vense portse and hepatic ducts. 



BRANCHES, The named branches of the hepatic artery are as follow. 



(a) The pyloric artery, coming in contact with the stomach at the upper 

 border of the pylorus, extends from, right to left along the smaller curvature 

 and inosculates with the coronary artery. It is sometimes a branch of the 

 gastro duodenal. 



(b) The gastro- duodenal artery, of considerable size, separating from the 

 hepatic artery before that vessel ascends in the small omentum, descends 

 behind the duodenum, near the pylorus, and reaches the lower border of 

 the stomach ; there it gives off the pancreatico-duodenal branch, and its 

 remaining part, which receives the name of right gastro-epiploic, runs from 

 right to left along the great curvature of the stomach, between the layers of 

 the great omentum, and finally inosculates with the left gastro-epiploic 

 derived from the splenic artery. 



The gastro-epiploic artery gives branches upwards to both surfaces of the stomach, 

 and long slender vessels downwards to the omentum. 



The pancreatic duodenal branch descends along the inner margin of the duodenum, 

 between it and the pancreas, and, after furnishing several branches to both the-e 

 organs, anastomoses with a small offset of the superior mesenteric artery. 



(c) The cystic artery, given off by the right hepatic when crossing behind 

 the cystic duct, turns upwards and forwards upon the neck of the gall- 

 bladder, and divides into two smaller branches, of which one ramifies 

 between the coats on the depending surface, the other between the bladder 

 and the liver. 



PECULIARITIES. The hepatic artery sometimes arises from the superior mesenteric 

 artery, or from the aorta itself. Accessory hepatic arteries are often met with, usually 

 coming from the coronary artery of the stomach. The hepatic artery has been found 

 to furnish a phrenic branch. 



3. THE SPLENIC ARTERY, in the adult the largest branch of the coeliac 

 artery, supplies the spleen, and in part the stomach and pancreas. It is 

 directed horizontally towards the left side. Waving and often tortuous in 

 its course, it passes, together with the splenic vein which is below it, behind 



