6o UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI STUDIES 



below by pancreas, in front by suprarenal, above by the 

 upper pole of the kidney from the suprarenal to the splenic 

 area, and externally by the spleen above and the tail of the 

 pancreas below, (Plates XVI, XXVIII and XXXII). This 

 gastric area is the only peritonaeal area of the left kidney 

 above the lower border of the pancreas. Below the pan- 

 creas the external part of the anterior surface is bound to 

 the descending colon. The internal part of this surface is 

 covered with peritonaeum and is in relation with coils of 

 the jejunoileum. 



The hilus of the left kidney is also a little higher than 

 that of the right. It is opposite the lower half of the first 

 lumbar and the first lumbar intervertebral disc. 



The upper poles of the kidneys are here from a half 

 to an entire vertebra lower than the positions given by 

 Thane and Godlee, Merkel and Deaver. The lower poles 

 correspond more closely to their descriptions. 



THE URETERS AND THE BLADDER 



The ureters lie upon the psoas major muscles in the 

 abdominal cavity and the obturator internus muscles in 

 the pelvic cavity. At first each ureter is external to the 

 psoas minor and its tendon, but crosses the tendon at the 

 fourth lumbar vertebra. Near the brim of the pelvis each 

 ureter comes into close relation with the anterior surface of 

 the common iliac vein (Plate XXI). The ureters pass down 

 the lateral pelvic walls in company with the internal iliac 

 veins and their superior vesical branches (Plates XXII and 

 XXIII). At the hilus of the kidney each ureter lies behind 

 the renal vessels. From the renal vessels down to the brim 

 of the pelvis the ureters lie behind the peritonaeum of the 

 posterior abdominal wall and are in relation with coils of 



