38 DISSECTION OF THE DOG 



intervening between the oesophagus on the one hand and the small intestine 

 on the other. That part of the stomach connected with the oBSophagus is 

 distinguished as the cardia, to the left of which is the rounded fundus. When 

 moderately distended the stomach is readily distinguished as composed of two 

 parts : a rounded, wide body (corpus ventriculi) on the left, into which the 

 oesophagus opens ; and a narrow tubular pyloric portion (pars pylorica) com- 

 municating with the duodenum to the right. The position of the pylorus is 

 indicated on the exterior by a faint circular constriction at the junction of the 

 stomach and duodenum. It is in contact with the right central lobe of the 

 liver, and, very generally, with the gall-bladder also. Referred to the surface 

 of the abdomen, the pylorus is immediately to the right of the median plane, 

 between the xiphoid process of the sternum and the costal arch. The 

 pyloric orifice looks towards the vertebral column. 



The two surfaces of the stomach are smooth and convex and covered by 

 peritoneum. The borders are known as the. curvatures. Of these, the dorsal 

 or lesser curvature (curvatura ventriculi minor) is concave and from it the 

 lesser omentum passes to the visceral surface of the liver. The ventral or 

 greater curvature (curvatura ventriculi major) is convex and connected with 

 the greater omentum and gastro-lienal ligament. 



Duodenum. — The duodenum is the most distinctive part of the small 

 intestine. Most of the tube lies on the right side of the abdomen, in contact 

 with the right lateral lobe of the liver and the abdominal wall, and dorsal to 

 the bulk of the small intestine. Commencing at the pylorus, the duodenum 

 forms a curve dorsalwards and to the right in contact with the liver. From 

 this, the first flexure, begins the descending part (pars descendens) which passes 

 along the right side of the abdomen to the level of the sixth lumbar vertebra. 

 Here a second, wider curve to the left carries the intestine across the middle 

 line. Next succeeds the ascending part (pars ascendens) which, travelling back 

 again towards the stomach immediately to the left of the median plane, ends 

 in contact with the left kidney and close to the root of the mesentery, at an abrupt 

 caudo- ventral bend, the duodeno-jejunal flexure (flexura duodeno-jejunalis). 

 The position of the duodenum is subject to only slight variation from the fact 

 that its ascending part is intimately connected with the descending mesocolon- 

 The caudal limb of the pancreas is closely associated with the concave side of 

 the descending part of the duodenum. 



Pancreas. — The pancreas of the dog is an elongated, lobulated gland 

 presenting an appearance very similar to that of the salivary glands. It 

 consists of two limbs diverging from the region of the pylorus. The left limb 

 (cauda pancreatis) extends across the ventral aspect of the vertebral column 

 in the dorsal wall of the omental bursa and dorsal to the stomach. Its left 

 extremity is commonly in contact with the left kidney. The right limb (caput 

 pancreatis) is contained within the mesentery of the duodenum and reaches 

 from the pylorus almost to the point at which the duodenum bends to the left. 



