Pleura and peritoneum. 19th century artwork showing the serous membranes of the thorax and abdomen. The thoracic cavity is lined by the pleura and the abdominal cavity is lined by the peritoneum. Both have an inner (visceral) and an outer (parietal) layer. The parietal layer (at left) contains the blood vessels and nerves. The visceral layer (at right) secretes lubricating serous fluid that reduces friction from movement. This anatomical artwork is plate 1 from volume 5 (1839) of 'Traite complet de l'anatomie de l'homme' (1831-1854). This 8-volume anatomy atlas was produced by the French physician and anatomist Jean-Baptiste Marc Bourgery (1797-1849). The illustrations were by Nicolas-Henri Jacob (1781-1871).