102 



TOPOGRAPHICAL ANATOMY OF THE 



incised. It should be carefully noted that the peritoneal cavity does not 

 exist as an actual space so long as the wall of the abdomen is intact ; the 

 parietal and visceral layers of the peritoneum being separated only by a 

 very thin film of serous fluid, secreted by the membrane itself. 

 Macroscopically, the peritoneal cavity is completely closed in the male : 

 in the female two small openings, the abdominal ostia of the uterine 

 tubes, place it in indirect communication with the exterior by way of 

 the tubes, uterus, and vagina. In all animals the peritoneal cavity 

 communicates by microscopic stomata with lymph vessels. 



Colon. 



Mesentery. 



Pancreas 



Small intestine. 



Urinary bladder. 



Stomach. 

 Lesser omentum. 



iragm 



Ductus deferens. 

 Rectum. 



Greater omentum. / 

 Omental bursa. Uterus. 



Vulva. 

 ' Urethra. 

 Vagina. 



Urinary bladder. 



Fig. 46. — Diagram to illustrate the arrangement of the peritoneum in median 

 longitudinal section. The i^eritoneixm is represented by the red lines. 

 The larger figure indicates the arrangement in the male pelvis ; the 

 smaller figure represents the female pelvis. 



As will be seen as the examination of the peritoneum proceeds, 

 there are numerous special folds and dependencies associated with 

 certain of the abdominal organs. Mesenteries, or broad folds, suspend 

 the small intestine and the small colon from the dorsal wall of the 

 abdomen. Ligaments, so-called, are numerous, and are either long or 

 short. Some of them are truly binding structures, as those in 

 connection with the liver ; others are only binding in a limited sense, as, 

 for example, the gastro-splenic ligament, which loosely connects the 



