The development of the arteries of the abdomen and their relation to the peritoneum / by C.B. Lockwood ; communicated by W.S. Savory.

  • Charles Barrett Lockwood
Date:
1885
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The development of the arteries of the abdomen and their relation to the peritoneum / by C.B. Lockwood ; communicated by W.S. Savory. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    It has been previously stated that from its earliest appearance the liver derives a portion of its blood supply from the vessels of that part of the alimentary tract from which it grew ; and the mesentery was stated to be the route by which it arrives at its destination. Now it is clear that, as development progressed, this supply, besides passing through the mesentery, would have to extend through the constriction which forms between the liver and intestine. In the human subject the duodenum represents that part of the alimentary tract which gives origin to the liver; and, therefore, it seems reason- able to search in its neighbourhood for a vessel which fulfils the con- ditions which have been laid down. The hepatic artery leaves nothing to be desired; arising behind the peritoneum it runs to the duodenum, and distributes branches to the stomach and intestine ; thence it passes onwards through the lesser omentum to the liver, and it is hardly necessary to remark that the lesser omentum corresponds to the constriction which has just been spoken of. One point with regard to the anatomy of the hepatic artery seems to call for explana-. tion and comment; its passage through the mesentery. In the adult the mesoduodenum is often of insignificant size, so that it is not easy to demonstrate the artery passing through it. At about the middle of intrauterine life the mesoduodenum is long, and no such difficulty exists. Perhaps this observation is strengthened by an examination of the course of the vessel in the shrew. In this animal the whole alimentary tract retains the mesentery, and I have satisfied myself that the hepatic artery passes through it before reaching the liver. If it is true that the hepatic artery is the representative of one^of the original vessels of the mesentery, many of its peculiarities may be explained. Instead of one the liver may have two or even three arteries (Cruveilhier, Traite d'Anatomie Descriptive, vol. iii, p. 67). When this is the case the additional vessels may arise from the aorta and reach the liver in the usual way, or they may take origin from the gastric or superior mesenteric arteries ; both of which, it is significant to remark, formerly belonged to the mid-gut. Evidently the organ may appropriate more than one of the original vessels of the mesentery. That the hepatic artery should distribute branches to the stomach and duodenum need not excite surprise ; before the appearance of the liver it performed no other function than to supply that part of the intestine which afterwards becomes converted into those organs. So far, in order not to introduce needless complications, no reference has been made to the aperture which is called the Foramen of Winslow. The development of the hepatic artery is a factor, but not an essential factor, in its formation. To explain the origin of the Foramen of Winslow, the changes of position which the liver, stomach, and lesser omentum undergo, require to be considered. In
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