8l2 



HUMAN ANATOMY. 



6a. The Prostatic Artery. — The prostatic artery arises either from the hypo- 

 gastric axis, or, more usually, from a trunk common to it and the inferior vesical or the 

 middle hemorrhoidal. It passes downward, forward, and inward to the lateral surface 

 of the prostate gland, and sends branches into the interior of that structure and also 

 to the base of the bladder, anastomosing with branches of the inferior vesical artery. 



6b. The Vaginal Artery. — The vaginal artery (a. vaginalis) (Fig. 726), the 

 homologue of the prostatic artery, arises either from the hypogastric axis, more usually 

 from a trunk common to it and the inferior vesical or middle hemorrhoidal, or from 

 the anterior division of the internal iliac, below the hypogastric axis. It passes down- 

 ward and inward towards the lower part of the sides of the vagina, where it divides into 

 numerous branches which ramify over the anterior and posterior surfaces of that organ, 

 anastomosing with the corresponding branches of the artery of the other side. It also 

 anastomoses above with the cervical branches of the uterine artery and below with the 

 perineal branches of the internal pudic. By these anastomoses there is usually formed 

 along the median line of both the anterior and posterior surfaces of the vagina a more 

 or less regular vessel which is known as the azygos arteiy of the vagina. 



Fig. 726. 



Deep circumflex iliac artery 



Round ligament 



External iliac artery 

 Ova'ian artery 

 External iliac vein 

 Ovarian veins 



Deep epigastric 



artery 



Obliterated 



hypogastric 



Bladder 



Symphysis piibiS' 



Obturator nerve' 

 Vulva- 



Dorsal artery of 



clitoris' 



Artery to corpus 



cavernosum 



Right ureter 



Common iliac artery 



jf*_>vary 



Left common iliac 



[vein 

 Bowel 



-*-■ ^ribturator artery 



Superior vesical artery 

 Middle vesical artery 

 ' ividuct 



! nferior vesical artery 

 Uterine artery 

 Stump of round liga- 

 'Ovary [ment 



Ovarian artery 



Uterine artery 



Superior vesical artery 



Vaginal artery 



Anterior trunk of 



internal iliac artery 



Middle hemorrhoidal artery 



Rectum 



Artery to bulb 



Vaginal branch Left Vaginal artery 



of uterine artery ureter 



Arteries of female pelvis, seen from left side. 



Variations. — The vaginal artery occasionally arises from a common trunk with the uterine. 

 Frequently, as a result of its precocious division, it is represented by two or more vessels. 



7«. The Vesiculo-Deferential Artery. — The vesiculo-deferential artery 

 (a. deferentialis) usually arises from the hypogastric axis, but sometimes from the 

 proximal part of the superior vesical or from the anterior division of the internal iliac, 

 below the hypogastric axis. It passes downward, forward, and inward, and, crossing 

 the ureter, gives a branch to the vas deferens and then breaks up into a number of small 

 branches which are distributed to the vesicula seminalis. The deferential branch, 

 on reaching the vas, divides into an ascending and a descending branch. The former 

 passes upward along the vas to the internal abdominal ring and thence through the 

 inguinal canal to the neighborhood of the epididymis, anastomosing with branches of 

 the spermatic artery. The descending branch accompanies the vas to the prostate. 



'jb. The Uterine Artery. — The uterine artery (a. uterina) (Fig. 726) corres- 

 ponds to the vesiculo-deferential and has a similar origin. It passes at first downward 

 and inward upon the surface of the levator ani, and then inward in a tortuous course 



