THE PERITONEUM 



443 



to 30 cm.) on the small colon. It then forms an acute angle, passes medially and 

 forward along the small colon to the dorsal part of the hilus of the spleen, where it 

 blends with the suspensory ligament of the latter, and forms a recess (Recessus 

 henalis) behind the saccus caucus of the stomach. It now passes along the hilus 

 of the spleen, and is continued to the greater curvature of the stomach by the 

 gastro-splenic omentum. It is convenient to regard the spleen as being interca- 

 lated in the left part of the greater omentum; on this basis the gastro-splenic 

 omentum would be that part of the greater omentum which connects the hilus of 

 the spleen with the greater curvature of the stomach. The greater omentum is 

 relatively small in the horse, and is 



usually not visible when the abdo- r, h 



men is opened. It is generally folded ' ' "'^ ragm 



up in the space between the visceral 

 surface of the stomach and the in- 

 testine.'- 



The lesser sae furnishes the perito- 

 neal covering- for: (1) the -visceral surface 

 of the stomach and a small area of the first 

 curve of the duodenum; (2) a large part of 

 the dorsal surface of the pancreas and por- 

 tal vein; (3) a small part of the visceral sur- 

 face of the Uver above the attachment of 

 the lesser omentum and the portal fissure ; 

 (4) the posterior vena cava, from the level 

 of the epiploic foramen to its passage 

 through the diaphragm (in so far as it is 

 not embedded) ; (.5) the part of the parie- 

 tal surface of the liver bet-n^een the right 

 and middle divisions of the coronary liga- 

 ment; (6) the corresponding part of the 

 diaphragm, and the right part of the right 

 crus of the same; (7) part of the anterior 

 surface of the terminal part of the great 

 colon, and the origin of the small colon; 

 (8) the left extremity of the pancreas (in- 

 constant) ; (9) the spleen. 



We may now trace the perito- 

 neum in a longitudinal direction, be- 

 ginning in front. It is reflected from 

 the ventral abdominal wall and the 

 diaphragm upon the liver, forming 

 the ligaments and serous coat of the 

 gland. It leaves the visceral surface 

 of the liver as lesser omentum, and 

 the crura of the diaphragm as the 



gastrophrenic ligament, reaches the saccus csecus and lesser curvature of the stomach 

 and the first curve of the duodenum, covers these organs, and is continued by the 

 greater omentum. 



On the left it passes from the left crus of the diaphragm and the left kidney to 

 form the suspensory ligament of the spleen, clothes that organ, and leaves it to be 

 continued by the greater and gastro-splenic omenta. 



On the right it passes from the right crus of the diaphragm and the dorsal 

 border of the liver to the concave border of the duodenum, forming the gastro- 

 pancreatic fold (second part of the mesoduodenum), and covering part of the dorsal 

 surface of the pancreas. From the margin of the pancreas, the right kidney, and 

 a small area of the sublumbar region behind the latter, it passes on to the base of 



1 In dissecting-room subjects (-which are usually aged) the omentum often exhibits patho- 

 logical changes, such as adhesions, rents, tumors, formation of twisted strands, etc. 



Fig. 378. — Diagram of Abdominal Peritoneum in Frontal 

 (or Horizontal) Tracing. 

 D, Duodenum: 1, falciform ligament; 2, lesser omentum; 

 3, gastro-splenic omentum; 4, greater omentum; 5, cavity of 

 omentum; 6, mesoduodenum; 7, general peritoneal cavity. 

 Arrow indicates epiploic foramen. By an oversight the pan- 

 creas, in front of the colon, is not marked. 



