2,2 ELEMENTARY BIOLOGY. [CHAP. 



2. The anterior abdominal vein. (Cf. Sect. B. i. c. a.) 



This is seen to receive a series of paired epigastric 

 veins, which run in the tendinous intersections of 

 the ventral muscles. 



Carefully dissect the body-wall away from it, until 

 liberated for its whole course. Note — 



a. Its origin ; by the fusion in the middle line of a 

 couple of short veins {pelvic veins), lying at the 

 base of the pleuro-peritoneal cavity and bringing 

 back blood from the hind-limbs. 



b. Its distribution. Trace it forwards; it runs be- 

 neath (dorsal to) the ventricle : on raising the 

 latter it will be found to divide into two branches, 

 one of which goes to each lobe of the liver {afferent 

 hepatic veins). 



c. Its lesser factors. 



a. The epigastric veins ; described above. 



/?. The vesical vein ; entering its base, and bringing 

 in the blood from the urinary bladder and in- 

 testinal wall immediately adjacent. 



y. The cystic vein ; a small vessel, usually entering 

 the right afferent hepatic branch, bringing back 

 the blood from the gall-bladder. 



8. The cardiac vein; a minute vessel, seen, on 

 displacing the ventricle, bound up in a special 

 fold of the pericardium. It brings back the 

 blood from the wall of the truncus arteriosus. 



3. The hepatic portal vein. 



Raise the left lobe of the liver ; the main trunk of 

 the above will be seen running through the head of 

 the pancreas to enter the same; it communicates 



