The stomach has been cut across a short distance from the pyloric valve, and removed, to show the viscera which lie behind it. The descending aorta and the vena cava rest upon the vertebral column. They are crossed by the pancreas and the transverse portion of the duodenum. The head of the pancreas is enclosed by the curvatures of the duodenum. The ducts of the liver and pancreas are seen entering the descending duodenum side by side.