The workes of that famous chirurgion Ambrose Parey translated out of Latine and compared with the French. by Th: Johnson

CHAP. XXI. Of the Vena Porta, or Gate-veine, and the distribution thereof.

THe gate-veine, as also all the other veines, is of a spermaticke substance, * 1.1 of a manifest largenesse, of a round and hollow figure, like to a pipe or quill. It is composed of its proper coate, and one common from the perit••∣naeum. It is onely one, and that situate in the simous or hollow part of the * 1.2 l••ver, from whence it breakes forth (or rather out of the umbilicall veine) into the midst of all the guts, with which it hath connexion, as also with the stomacke, spleen, sphincter of the fundament and Peritonaeum, by the coat which it receives from thence. It is of a cold and dry temper. The Action of it is, to sucke the Chyl•••• out * 1.3 of the ventricle and guts, and so to take and carry it to the Liver, untill it may carry back the same turned into blood for the nutriment of the stomaeke, spleen and guts. This Gate veine comming out of the simous part of the liver, is divided into sixe * 1.4 branches, that is 4 simple and two compound, againe divided into many other branches. The first of the simple ascends from the fore part of the truncke to the bladder of the Gall by the passage of the Choller (and are marked with g. g.) with a like arterye for life and nourishment, and this distribution is knowne by the name of the Cystica gamellae or Cysticke twins. The second is called the Gastrica or stomack * 1.5 veine arising in like manner from the fore part of the truncke, is carried to the Pylorus and the simous or backe part of the stomacke next to it.

The third is called Gastrepiplois, the stomacke and kall veine, which comming from * 1.6 the right side of the gate veine goes to the gibbous part of the stomacke next to the Pylorus and the right side of the kall.

The fourth going forth from behind and on the right hand of the gate veine, ascends * 1.7 above the roote of the Meseraicke branch, even to the beginning of the gut Ieiunum, along the gut Duodenum, from whence it is called Intestinalis, or the gut-veine. And * 1.8 these are the foure simple branches. Now we will speake of the compound.

The first is the spleenicke, which is divided after the following manner. For in its first beginning and upper part, it sends forth the Coronalis, or crowne veine of the stomacke, which by the backe part of the stomacke ascends into the upper and hol∣low part thereof; to which place, as soone as it arrives, it is divided againe into two branches, the one whereof climbs up even to its higher orifice, the other descends downe to the lower, sending forth by the way other branches to the fore and backe parts of the stomacke. These engirt on every side incompasse the body of the ventricle, for which cause they are named the crowne veines.

I have sometime observed this comming forth of the truncke, a little above the orifice of the splenicke branch. But this same splenicke branch on its lower part, produces the branch of the Haemorroidall veines, which descending * 1.9 to the fundament above the left side of the loines, diffuses a good portion there∣of into the least part of the collicke gut, and the right gut, at the end whereof it is often seene to be divided into five Haemorrhoidall veines, sometimes more, some∣times lesse.

Sylvi•••• writes that the Haemorrhoidall branch descends from the mesentericke, and truly we have sometimes observed it to have beene so. Yet it is more sutable to reason, that it should descend from the splenicke, not onely for that we have seene with our eyes that it is so, but also because it is appointed by nature for the evacuation of the excrementitious melancholike humor. But this same spl••••ick branch out of the * 1.10 middle almost of its upper part produces the third branch going to the gibbous part of the stomacke, and the kall; they terme in the greater, middle and left Gastrepiplois. But on the lower part towards the spleene it produces the simple Epiplois, or kall-veine, * 1.11 which it diffuses through the left side of the kall. Moreover from its upper part, which touches the liver, it sends forth a short branch called vas breve, or venosum, to * 1.12 the upper orifice of the ventricle for stirring up the appetite.

Wee have oftentimes and almost alwayes observed, that this veinie vessell, which Galen calls vas breve, comes from the very body of the spleene, and is terminated in * 1.13 the midst of the stomacke on the left side, but never peirces both the coates thereof. Wherefore it is somewhat difficult to find, how the melancholy juyce can that way be powred, or sent into the capacitie of the stomacke. Now the splenicke branch, when it hath produced out of it those five forementioned branches, is wasted and dispersed into the substance and body of the spleene.

Then followes another compound branch of the vena porta; called the mesente∣ricke, which is divided into three parts; the first and least whereof goes to the blind * 1.14 gut, and to the right and middle part of the collicke-gut, divided into an infinite multi∣tude of other branches. The second and middle is wasted in the Ileon; as the third and greater in the Ieiunum or empty gut. It is called Mesentericke because it is diffused over all the Mesentery; as the splenicke is in the spleen. And thus much wee have to say of the division of the gate veine, the which if at any time thou shalt find to be other-wise, than I have set downe, you must not wonder at it; for you shall scarce ••inde it the same in two bodies, by reason of the infinite varietie of particular bodies, which (as the Philosophers say) have each their owne, or peculiar gifts. Our judgement is the same of other divisions of the vessels. Yet wee have set downe that which wee have most frequently observed.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The substance and figure.
• * 1.2

  Compositiors. Number end Site.
• * 1.3

  Temper and Action.
• * 1.4

  Division there∣of into 6 bran∣ches of which 4 simple. 1•• Cysticae genellae.
• * 1.5

  2 Gastrica.
• * 1.6

  3 Gastrepiplois.
• * 1.7

  4 Intestinalis.
• * 1.8

  Two com∣pound. 1 Ramu•• spleni∣cus sending ••orch. 1 Coronali••. 〈◊〉〈◊〉
• * 1.9

  2 Haemorrhoidal▪ interna.
• * 1.10

  3. Gastrepiplois maj••r •…•…stra.
• * 1.11

  4. Epiplois simp∣lex.
• * 1.12

  5. Vas breve scu venosum.
• * 1.13

  Lib. 4. de ••s•…•… partium.
• * 1.14

  2 Ramus mesen∣tericus, devided into three parts.