ABDOMINAL VISCERA OF THE HORSE. 29 
ligament, the representative of a foetal structure, the umbilical 
vein. Furthermore, the liver is provided with a coronary liga¬ 
ment that surrounds the foramen dextrum of the diaphragm, 
through which the vena cava passes. The lateral ligaments 
are distinguished as right and left; they connect each lateral 
lobe to the diaphragm. 
The only connexions of the liver that remain to be mentioned 
are the stomach, duodenum, transverse colon, and pancreas to 
its inferior surface, and the right kidney to the posterior part of 
the right lobe. 
Dissecting off the serous tunic, it is found connected with the 
biliary surface by cellular tissue continuous at the porta with 
the so-called capsule of Glisson. The latter extends into the 
liver as a common sheath to bloodvessels, nerves, lymphatics, 
and biliary ducts. 
To proceed with further description of the liver would be 
useless, unless first examining the bloodvessels and ducts in that 
part of their course which is external to the organ. The hepatic 
artery is quite subordinate in size, considering the magnitude 
of the organ and amount of its secretion. It is a branch of the 
coeliac axis, at first in contact with the pancreas and then be¬ 
tween the folds of the gastro-hepatic omentum, and it reaches 
the porta on the left side of the portal vein. After giving off 
pancreatic and duodenal branches, it divides into two, a right 
and a left one. The right, the largest and somewhat the longest, 
penetrates into the right lobe, giving off collateral branches, 
first 1o the middle and then to the right lobe itself. The left is 
the smallest division, and is distributed to the lobe correspond¬ 
ing to it in position, and also to the middle one. 
The liver is exceptional for having, besides an artery, another 
afferent vessel—a vein, known as the portal vein, formed by 
the splenic, which also receives the gastric and mesenteries, 
meeting each other at the same spot near the posterior part of 
the pancreas. From its origin the portal vein takes an oblique 
course from left to right through the pancreas, and, being sur¬ 
rounded by nerves, it reaches the porta of the liver, and here 
divides into three principal branches, one for each lobe. 
At the porta we also see the biliary duct coming out, formed 
by the union of several branches corresponding in number to 
the ramification of the bloodvessels. This duct passes through 
the gastro-hepatic omentum, meeting the pancreatic duct at 
almost a right angle, and with it opening into the duodenum 
about five or six inches from the pylorus. 
Having thus far considered the main vessels, we may ex¬ 
amine further the internal structure of the liver. At the porta 
the branches of the vessels and ducts are associated together 
