DISSECTION OP THE ABDOMEN. 319 



is convex ; while the inner is concave, presenting a well-marked notch 

 termed the hilus. From this hilus the ureter issues, and in its neigh- 

 bourhood the renal vessels and nerves pass into or out of the kidney. 

 The extremities are anterior and posterior, and both are rounded. It 

 will at once be noticed, however (Plate 47), that although this description 

 applies to both kidneys, they are far from being identical in shape. The 

 right kidney has an outline somewhat like the "heart" of playing-cards, 

 while the left has a decided resemblance to a haricot bean. The right 

 has the longest transverse, but the shortest antero-posterior, diameter. 

 The right is nearly symmetrical on each side of a line drawn from the 

 hilus to the middle of the outer border; but if such a line be drawn on 

 the left, the part in front of the line will be considerably smaller than 

 the part behind it. 



Furthermore, it will be noticed that the two kidneys differ in situation, 

 and in relations. The right kidney is the more anterior; and taking 

 their relation to the skeleton, the difference may be expressed thus : the 

 right extends from the middle of the third last intercostal space at its 

 upper end to a point beneath the 2nd lumbar transverse process ; the 

 left extends from the second last intercostal space to the 3rd lumbar 

 transverse process. 



The right kidney is related by its upper face to the psoas muscles and 

 to the rim of the diaphragm ; by its lower face it contacts with the 

 pancreas and the crook of the caecum, and is partly covered by peri- 

 toneum ; its inner border is margined by the posterior vena cava, and is in 

 contact with the right suprarenal capsule in front of the hilus (some- 

 times behind); its outer border is in contact with the duodenum; its 

 anterior extremity is in contact with the right lobe of the hver (which is 

 slightly depressed for it) and with the lobulus caudatus, and to the latter 

 a small fold of peritoneum passes from the lower face of the kidney. 



The left kidney has the same relations on its upper face as the right ; 

 its lower face is covered by peritoneum, and is related to the small 

 intestines ; its inner border is margined by the aorta, and is related to 

 the left suprarenal body in front of the hilus; its anterior border is 

 related to the left extremity of the pancreas ; and the anterior half of 

 its outer or convex border is related to the base of the spleen. 



Kbnal Aeteeies. Each kidney receives blood from a large vessel— 

 the renal artery — which is a branch of the aorta. Springing at a right 

 angle from the parent trunk, the artery passes towards the hilus, where 

 it divides into a number of branches that penetrate the kidney substance. 

 The left artery is short, and passes directly to the hilus ; the right is 

 longer, and passes between the psoas parvus muscle and the vena cava 

 to reach its destination. It is also generally a little anterior to the left 

 in its point of detachment, both being a little behind the trunk of the 

 anterior mesenteric artery. 



