DISSECTION OF THE ABDOMEN. 329 



toneum; its inner border is margined by the posterior vena cava, and is 

 in contact with the right suprarenal capsule in front of the hilus (some- 

 times behind) ; its outer border is in contact with the duodenum ; its 

 anterior extremity is in contact with the right lobe of the liver (which 

 is slightly depressed for it) and with the lobulus caudatus, and to the 

 latter a small fold of peritoneum passes from the lower face of the 

 kidney. 



The left kidney has the same relations on its upper face as the right ; 

 its lower face is covered by peritoneum, and is related to the small 

 intestines ; its inner border is margined by the aorta, and is related to 

 the left suprarenal body in front of the hilus; its anterior extremity is 

 related to the left extremity of the pancreas ; and the anterior half of 

 its outer or convex border is related to the base of the spleen. 



Eenal Arteries. Each kidney receives blood from a large vessel — 

 the renal artery — which is a branch of the aorta. Springing at a right 

 angle from the parent trunk, the artery passes towards the hilus, where 

 it divides into a number of branches that penetrate the kidney substance. 

 The left artery is short, and passes directly to the hilus ; the right is 

 longer, and passes between the psoas parvus muscle and the vena cava 

 to reach its destination. It is also generally a little anterior to the left 

 in its point of detachment, both being a little behind the trunk of the 

 anterior mesenteric artery. 



The Eenal Veins are as large in proportion as the arteries. They 

 join the posterior vena cava, the right vein being the shorter and 

 passing directly from the hilus, while the left crosses the lower face of 

 the aorta behind the anterior mesenteric artery. 



The Renal Plexus of nerves interlace around the artery, and enter 

 the kidney with its branches. 



The Suprarenal Capsules (Plates 44 and 47). These are two small 

 solid bodies found in close relation to the kidneys, the right being 

 between the vena cava and the inner border of the right kidney, and 

 the left between the aorta and left kidney. They have an irregular 

 elongated shape, and a slatey-brown colour. They are highly vascular, 

 receiving branches from the mesenteric or renal arteries, and having 

 veins that enter the posterior vena cava or the renal veins. They have 

 also a rich nervous supply, receiving the suprarenal plexus — an oflset 

 from the solar plexus. Their substance consists of a cortical and a 

 medullar^/ portion. Each possesses a fibrous capsule continuous with 

 an internal trabecular framework. The interspaces of these trabeculai 

 contain nucleated polyhedral or branched cells, which in the medulla 

 and innermost layer of the cortex frequently enclose yellowish-brown 

 pigment. They are without ducts, and their function is not well known. 



The Urbtees. The ureter is the tube which conveys the urine from 

 the pelvis of the kidney to the urinary bladder. On the left side it has 



