168 EQUINE ANATOMY. 



renal, small mesenteric, spermatic, and small testicular 

 for visceral branches. 



Ltjmbar — Five or six in number, analogous in their 

 course and disposition to the inter-costals, terminating 

 by superior and inferior muscular branches. 



Middle sacral. — Often missing, and when found 

 rises between the two internal iliacs and runs on the 

 inferior face of the sacrum backwards, losing itself 

 gradually. 



CcELiAc AXIS. — Rises from the inferior face of the 

 aorta and after a short course divides into three 

 branches. 



1. Gastric. — Passes upon the left extremity of the 

 stomach and near the oesophagus,divides into an ante- 

 rior and posterior gastric, both ramifying upon the cor- 

 responding faces of the organ. It gives a third 

 branch which passes along the oesophagus, enters the 

 thorax and divides into two branches, which anasto- 

 mose with the two oesophageal. 



2. Hepatic. — Huns outward to the right to reach 

 the posterior face of the liver, which it enters dividing 

 into numerous branches. It has for collaterals the pan- 

 creatic, the pyloric, and right gastro-epiploic. 



a. Pancreatic. — Small branches to the pancreas. 

 h. Pyloric — From the main trunk as it enters the 

 fissure of the liver, it passes towards the small curva- 



