ABDOMINAL VISCERA OF THE HORSE. 27 
between the folds of the gastro-splenic omentum, it not only 
sends numerous branches through the hilum, and on to the sur¬ 
face of the spleen, but also supplies the stomach, largely inoscu¬ 
lating with the gastric artery, so that the two might mutually 
perform each other’s office, if the main trunk of either were 
obstructed. 
The splenic vein is similarly distributed to the artery, and it 
empties its blood into the vena portae, just anteriorly to the 
posterior mesenteric vein. 
The nerves of the spleen are derived from the solar plexus, 
and with the splenic artery enter the spleen. 
The lymphatics of the spleen are said by Koelliker to be 
scanty; but Dr. Sharpey tends rather to the belief that they are 
abundant. They are arranged superficially and deep, both sets 
anastomosing freely with each other, and, reaching the hilum, 
they enter various scattered lymphatic glands in the peritoneal 
folds, and then empty into the receptaculum chyli. 
Liver . 
The liver is the largest gland in the body, and proportionately 
largest during certain periods of foetal life. It is of a dark 
reddish brown colour, and destined for the office of biliary 
secretion. 
It is situated across the long axis of the body, in the right 
hypochondriac, epigastric, and partty in the left hypochondriac 
regions. 
It is attached to various parts by five ligaments, four of 
which are peritoneal folds, and one is the remnant cord re¬ 
sulting from the obliteration of the umbilical vein within the 
abdomen. These attachments will be more fully described with 
the peritoneal tunic. 
The external aspect of the liver is smooth, being convex 
superiorly and concave inferiorly, broad posteriorly, and sharp 
anteriorly. It has a granular appearance, and a very super¬ 
ficial inspection clearly shews that it is composed of lobules, 
about the size of a pin’s head. 
The hepatic substance is irregularly divided into numerous 
segments by. fissures, which either extend through the gland 
from side to side, or are mere grooves of more or less depth. 
The different segments of the gland or lobes are three principal 
ones—right, middle, and left—to which smaller ones are ap¬ 
pended. 
The right lobe is the largest of the three, situated in the 
right hypochondrium, being thickest posteriorly and sharp an¬ 
teriorly. The supero-postenor part of the right lobe is marked 
