ABDOMEN. 157 



SPLAlVCHi\OLOG¥. 



Peritoneum. — A serous membrane lining the abdom- 

 inal cavity and forming a parietal and visceral layer. 

 The former passing over the different regions of the 

 abdomen, gives rise to the ligaments, mesentery and 

 epiploon, viz: in the sus- sternal region it forms a fal- 

 ciform band extended from the umbilicus to the liver ; 

 passing over the diaphragmatic region, it forms the 

 right, left and common ligaments of the liver, the car- 

 diac ligament surrounding the oesophagus; behind the 

 liver it furnishes the hepato-gastric ligament, from 

 which rise the great or gastro-colic and gastro-splenic 

 epiploon; in the lumbar region, it presents the hepa- 

 tico-renal ligament, that of the lobe of Spigel, the great 

 mesentery proper supporting the small intestine, the 

 colic mesentery, meso-coecum and meso-colon. Tovrards 

 the pelvic cavity it forms the three ligaments of the 

 bladder ; in males it covers the dilated portion of the 

 efferent canals, the vesicula seminalis and reflex 

 round the rectum. In females it forms three liga- 

 ments, called wide, round, or ligaments of the 

 ovary. 



The visceral layer forms an external envelope to all 

 the abdominal organs except the kidneys. 



Structure : connective tissue covered with pavimen- 



