TOPOGRAPHY OF THE THORAX AND ABDOMEN 49 



of the surface outline is slightly convex outward following 

 the lateral part of the diaphragm and body wall down to 

 the level of the middle of the third lumbar vertebra about 

 .5 cm. below the lowest point of the tenth rib. The inferior 

 boundary crosses the anterior abdominal wall from the tip 

 of the right tenth to the left seventh costal cartilage about 

 1 cm. above the tip of the eighth cartilage, and ends behind 

 the left sixth rib about 3 cm. external to the midclavicular 

 line. It crosses the anterior midline about 7 cm. below 

 the xiphosternal articulation or about one-third of the dis- 

 tance from this articulation to the umbilicus. The inferior 

 boundary is formed by the anterior border and when seen 

 from behind it crosses the vertebral column from the right 

 end of the disc between the twelfth thoracic and first 

 lumbar vertebrae to the left end of the next disc above. 

 The greatest lateral extent of the liver is across the sixth 

 sternochondral articulations and tenth vertebra, where the 

 organ extends nearly 12 cm. to either side of the midline. 



When seen from the right side (Plates XXX and 

 XXXIV> the liver fills the upper half of the abdominal 

 cavity. Its highest point is about 5 cm. and its lowest 1 

 cm. anterior to the midaxillary line. It is about 18 cm. 

 in its superoinferior length. 



Plates XXXI and XXXV represent the left lobe of the 

 liver only. Since this lobe is very thin near its tip, but 

 enlarges rapidly near the midplane of the body a double 

 projection is given in order to show the relation of the 

 liver to the body wall and to the other organs in the region. 

 The large outline is from measurements at the junction 

 of the right and left lobes, the diagonal crossing this out- 

 line represents the course of the anterior border of the 

 liver from the tip of the left lobe to where it crosses the 

 midline of the body. 



4 



