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Henry Gray (1825–1861). Anatomy of the Human Body. 1918.

pages 1202

part of the shelf. As the pancreas extends to the left toward the spleen it crosses the upper part of the kidney, and is so moulded on to it that the top of the kidney forms an extension inward and backward of the upper surface of the pancreas and extends the bed in this direction. On the other hand, the extremity of the pancreas comes in contact with the spleen in such a way that the plane of its upper surface runs with little interruption upward and backward into the concave gastric surface of the spleen, which completes the bed behind and to the left, and, running upward, forms a partial cap for the wide end of the stomach. 1


FIG. 1100– The pancreatic duct. (See enlarged image)
  The Pancreatic Duct (ductus pancreaticus [Wirsungi]; duct of Wirsung) extends transversely from left to right through the substance of the pancreas (Fig. 1100). It commences by the junction of the small ducts of the lobules situated in the tail of the pancreas, and, running from left to right through the body, it receives the ducts of the various lobules composing the gland. Considerably augmented in size, it reaches the neck, and turning downward, backward, and to the right, it comes into relation with the common bile duct, which lies to its right side; leaving the head of the gland, it passes very obliquely through the mucous and muscular coats of the duodenum, and ends by an orifice common to it and the common bile duct upon the summit of the duodenal papilla, situated at the medial side of the descending portion of the duodenum, 7.5 to 10 cm. below the pylorus. The pancreatic duct, near the duodenum, is about the size of an ordinary quill. Sometimes the pancreatic duct and the common bile duct open separately into the duodenum. Frequently there is an additional duct, which is given off from the pancreatic duct in the neck of the pancreas and opens into the duodenum about 2.5 cm. above the duodenal papilla. It receives the ducts from the lower part of the head, and is known as the accessory pancreatic duct (duct of Santorini).

Development (Figs. 1101, 1102).—The pancreas is developed in two parts, a dorsal and a ventral. The former arises as a diverticulum from the dorsal aspect