20 ESSAY ON THE DESCRIPTIVE ANATOMY OF THE 
ment to its gastric curve ; whilst by the single colon, is under¬ 
stood the continuation of the same intestine to the part where 
the rectum commences. 
The double colon is attached by the peritoneum coming off on 
to it from the caecum, in the right iliac fossa, and continues from 
the outer flexure on to the inner, so as to keep the two in per¬ 
fect apposition. Thus, if the abdominal parietes are cut 
through, the whole of the double colon may hang out, with the 
exception of the transverse portion. The latter is attached to 
the right kidney, as well as concave surface of the liver; by 
folds of peritoneum ; to the spine by the transverse meso-colon; 
and still more to the left, it is loosely attached by the gastro¬ 
colic omentum to the stomach and spleen; besides which it has 
a peritoneal attachment to the left kidney. Then the single 
colon commencing; it is loosely affixed to the spine by an exten¬ 
sive peritoneal fold, the meso-colon, similar to the mesentery, 
but smaller and to its left: this fold is continuous posteriorly 
with the meso-rectum. 
The relations of the transverse colon are important, no less 
than interesting, inasmuch as it is in close connection with the 
most important abdominal viscera. On the right, its upper 
surface is contiguous to the right kidney, as well as to the right 
and Spigelian lobes of the liver. In the middle, its superior 
surface is connected principally with the pancreas; and to the 
left, but still superiorly, it approaches the left kidney and 
spleen. Anteriorly, the stomach also touches it, especially 
during repletion. 
The shape of the colon is very variable in different parts of 
its course. Thus, the first, portion of the double colon, from the 
right iliac fossa till it forms the sigmoid flexure, is capacious 
and sacculated ; the latter being due to the four bands con¬ 
tinuous on to it from the caecum. At the sigmoid flexure the 
bands are completely lost, so that the gut is smooth; but as we 
extend up towards the diaphragm the anterior band begins, and 
then the posterior one becomes apparent; so “that the transverse 
and single portions of the colon are puckered by two longitu¬ 
dinal bands. 
The Rectum, so called from its comparative straight course 
through the pelvic cavity, arises from the single colon, a little 
anteriorly to the posterior mesenteric artery, and ends at the 
anus, where its mucous membrane is continuous with the com¬ 
mon tegumentary covering. It is attached in its anterior two- 
thirds by a meso-rectum ; the posterior third is an exception to 
any other part of the intestinal track, in so far as it is connected 
to adjacent parts by special faschiae, and at its termination by 
certain muscles hereafter to be dwelt upon. 
