ABDOMINAL CAVITY 451 



This recess, when the body is recumbent, is the most 

 dependent part of the omental bursa. 



The anterior wall of the omental bursa is formed, from 

 above downwards, by the peritoneum on the posterior surface 

 of the caudate lobe of the liver, the lesser omentum, the 

 peritoneum on the posterior surface of the stomach, and by 

 the anterior two layers of the greater omentum. 



The left lateral boundary is formed in the region of the 

 uppermost recess by the reflection of the peritoneum from the 

 margin of the fissure for the ductus venosus to the crura of 

 the diaphragm, at a lower level, posteriorly, by the lieno-renal 

 ligament, which passes from the left kidney to the spleen 

 (see Fig. 172), and anteriorly by the gastro-lienal ligament 

 which connects the spleen with the stomach ; and at a still 

 lower level by the union of the two anterior with the two 

 posterior layers of the greater omentum at the left free border 

 of the omentum (Fig. 1 73). The splenic artery runs forwards 

 in the left lateral wall, between the layers of the lieno-renal 

 ligament, and the short gastric branches and the left gastro- 

 epiploic branch of the splenic artery run onwards to the 

 stomach between the layers of the gastro-lienal ligament. 



The right lateral wall is formed, from below upwards, by 

 the union of the two anterior with the two posterior layers of 

 the greater omentum at its right free border (Fig. 170). 

 Next by the reflection of the posterior of the two anterior 

 layers backwards from the posterior surface of the first part 

 of the duodenum to the front of the pancreas, where it be- 

 comes continuous with the ascending layer of the transverse 

 meso-colon (Fig. 173). Immediately above the duodenum 

 the right boundary is absent and the small sac communicates 

 with the great sac through the epiploic foramen (Winslow). 

 Above the epiploic foramen the right margin of the small sac is 

 formed, in the upper recess, by the reflection of the peritoneum 

 from the right border of the caudate lobe (Spigelian) of the liver 

 to the right crus of the diaphragm. The hepatic artery turns 

 round the right border of the sac immediately behind the 

 upper border of the first part of the duodenum, producing 

 the right pancreatico-gastric fold previously mentioned. 



The Great Sac of the Peritoneum. After he has made 

 himself thoroughly conversant with the cavity of the omental 

 bursa the dissector should study the cavity of the great sac. 

 It is the cavity into which he opened when he cut through 



