ORGANS OF DIGESTION. 123 
On the other side of the notch is a small left median lobe 
and a much larger left lateral lobe. The right lateral lobe 
is dorsal of the right median lobe, and is divided into two 
parts by a deep cleft. A fifth lobe known as the Spigelian 
or caudate lobe is a small triangular portion of the liver 
connected to the base of the right lateral lobe and lying be- 
tween the neck of the gall bladder and the end of the stom- 
ach joining the esophagus. 
The bile secreted by the liver passes through the several 
ducts from the various lobes, to the main hepatic duct, 
which may be seen by cutting away the liver from the right 
side of the gall-cyst, and carefully picking off the perito- 
neum ensheathing the vessels between the Spigelian lobe 
and the cystic duct. The latter is somewhat convoluted in 
its course from the deeply imbedded end of the cyst, to a 
point on the duodenum about three centimeters from the 
pylorus. The main hepatic duct joins the cystic duct (Fig. 
60) near its middle. The common duct thus formed is 
known as the common bile duct. When the bile is secreted 
faster than it is permitted to enter the intestine, it passes 
backward from the common bile duct into the cyst. 
The bile aids in the absorption of the fats by the villi, 
and renders the chyme alkaline. The formation of red 
blood-corpuscles takes place in the liver of the embryo, 
while in the adult, the liver destroys these corpuscles. The 
chief function of this organ, however, is the formation of 
glycogen from the sugars and starches eaten and the gradual 
transformation of this glycogen into sugar as demanded for 
the nutrition of the body. Diabetes mellitus is caused by a 
diseased liver or pancreas which permits sugar to accumu- 
late in the blood. 
The pancreas (Fig. 60) is an elongated gland bent at 
a right angle near its middle. The body of it lies dorsal 
to the pyloric portion of the stomach, and the head lies 
