18 DISSECTION OF THE DOG 



C Kidneys. 



(2) Urinary organs. j Ureters. 



t Bladder. 



/- Deferent duct and prostate in the 

 \ male. 



(3) Reproductive organs. , Ovaries, uterine tube of Fallopius and 



^ uterus in the female. 



r Spleen. 



(4) Ductless glands. (Adrenal glands. 



r The abdominal aorta and its various 



(5) Arteries. | branches. 



/- The caudal vena cava and its tri- 



\ butaries. The portal vein and its 



( ) \ ems. . tributaries. The commencement of 



the vena azygos. 



(7) Lymph-glands and lymphatic vessels including the cisterna chyli 

 and the commencement of the thoracic duct. 



(8) The abdominal part of the sympathetic nervous system. 



(9) The peritoneal lining of the cavity and investment of the organs 

 contained therein. 



It is of the utmost importance to the surgeon that he should be familiar 

 with the positions of the main abdominal organs in relation to each other and 

 to the surface of the body. In the accompanying figures (figs. 3 and i), the 

 disposition of the muscles forming the wall of the abdomen, and the position 

 of the underlying viscera, are indicated. Both diagrams are divided into 

 equal squares in order that a ready comparison may be made. 



On first opening the abdomen only a few of the contained organs are brought 

 to view. On turning aside the walls of the abdomen, indeed, little can be 

 discovered but a double fat-laden membrane, the greater omentum (omentum 

 majus), composed of four layers of peritoneum and containing, as will be 

 explained later, a part of the peritoneal cavity called the omental bursa (bursa 

 omentalis). On raising the omentum from the underlying coils of small 

 intestine its connection with the greater curvature of the stomach, and its 

 continuity with a peritoneal duplicature passing from the stomach to the 

 spleen (ligamentum gastro-lienale) , will be revealed. 



Projecting from under cover of the costal arch, the sharp ventral border 

 of the liver will be visible. This border, it will be noticed, is deeply cut by 

 fissures, in association with one of which the broad end of the gall-bladder can 

 generally be seen. 



The ventral extremity of the spleen lies immediately caudal to the liver 



