678 ESSAY ON THE DESCRIPTIVE ANATOMY OF THE 
fundus they are concentrically arranged. This portion of the 
membrane is also furnished with papillae ; and Sprott Boyd, in 
an Inaugural Essay on the Structure of the Mucous Membrane 
of the Stomach, published in the Edinburgh Medical and Sur- 
gical Journal for 1836, describes a very marked peculiarity 
of an interposed layer between the epithelium and papillated 
surface of the mucous lining. This intermediate layer, he says, 
has a smooth equal surface, perforated by numerous foramina 
about the 600th of an inch in diameter, or perhaps a little 
smaller, the margins of which are slightly thickened. He after- 
wards states that he has not been able to trace in the epithelium 
of any other animal a structure similar to that existing in the 
horse. These peculiarities in the left pouch of the stomach 
cease abruptly midway the length of the viscus, where the cuti- 
cular lining terminates by a serrated edge. 
The mucous lining of the right end of the stomach is normally 
of a reddish colour, and presents a villous glistening aspect, 
coated thickly with mucus, and also possessing a high degree 
of vascularity; the epithelium is here scanty, but nevertheless 
tabular. The villous appearance above referred to suggests 
itself also when the surface is examined by the naked eye and 
by the aid of a lens ; but it is deceptive, as has been already 
remarked by Sprott Boyd, who correctly refers it to the raised 
margins of the areolae which stud the surface. This portion of 
the gastric mucous membrane is also thrown into folds, which 
become gradually more marked towards the pylorus; whereas 
they are susceptible of obliteration by distention, there is one 
circular fold at the pylorus which is permanent, and so disposed 
as to fulfil the office of a valve. 
The arteries of the stomach are derived from the coeliac axis, 
whose three divisions, i. e gastric, hepatic, and splenic, all 
contribute to supply blood to the viscus; but the first is specially 
destined to that office. The gastric artery, being the smallest 
of the three divisions, takes a course downwards, forwards, and 
rather to the right, across the pancreas, getting between the 
layers of the gastro-hepatic omentum. Being then directed to 
the left towards the lesser curvature, it divides into an anterior 
left or smaller branch, and a posterior right and more capacious 
as well as longer one. The anterior division is destined to 
supply the anterior surface of the stomach, and more especially 
the left cul-de-sac, anastomosing with branches (sometimes 
called vasa breva), coming on to the stomach from the splenic. 
This division of the gastic also anastomoses with oesophageal 
twigs, which are occasionally of considerable size. The poste- 
rior or right division of the gastric artery, destined for the 
pyloric end of the stomach, anastomoses with some splenic 
