FEMORAL ARTERY. 349 



the abdominal muscles, and inosculate with the inferior intercostal 

 and with the lumbar arteries. 



Varieties in the branches of the external iliac. The epigastric artery 

 not unfrequently * gives off the obturator, which descends in contact 

 with the external iliac vein, to the obturator foramen. In this situa- 

 tion the artery would lie to the outer side of the femoral ring, and 

 would not be endangered in the operation for dividing the stricture of 

 femoral hernia. But occasionally the obturator passes along the free 

 margin of Gimbernat's ligament in its course to the obturator foramen, 

 and would completely encircle the neck of the hernial sac ; a position 

 in which it could scarcely escape the knife of the operator. In 

 a preparation in my anatomical collection the branch of communication 

 between the epigastric and obturator arteries is very much enlarged, 

 and takes this dangerous course. 



FEMORAL ARTERY. 



Emerging from beneath Poupart's ligament, the external iliac artery 

 enters the thigh and becomes the femoral. The femoral artery passes 

 down the inner side of the thigh, from Poupart's ligament, at a point 

 midway between the anterior superior spinous process of the ilium and 

 the symphysis pubis, to the opening in the adductor magnus, at the 

 junction of the middle with the inferior third of the thigh, where it 

 becomes the popliteal artery. 



The femoral artery and vein are enclosed in a strong sheath, femo- 

 ral or crural canal, which is formed for the greater part of its extent 

 by aponeurotic and areolar tissue, and by a process of fascia sent 

 inwards from the fascia lata. Near Poupart's ligament this sheath is 

 much larger than the vessels it contains, and is continuous with the 

 fascia transversalis, and iliac fascia. If the sheath be opened at this 

 point, the artery will be seen to be situated in contact with the outer 

 wall of the sheath. The vein lies next the artery, being separated 

 from it by a fibrous septum, and between the vein and the inner wall 

 of the sheath, and divided from the vein by another thin fibrous 

 septum, is a triangular interval, into which the sac is protruded in 

 femoral hernia. This space is occupied in the normal state of the 

 parts by loose areolar tissue, and by lymphatic vessels which pierce 

 the inner wall of the sheath to make their way to a gland, situated in 

 the femoral ring. 



Relations. The upper third of the femoral artery is superficial, 

 being covered only by the integument, inguinal glands, and by the 



* The proportion in which high division of the obturator artery from the 

 epigastric occurs, is stated to be one in three. In two hundred and fifty subjects 

 examined by Cloquet with a view to ascertain how frequently the high division 

 took place, he found the obturator arising from the epigastric on both sides one 

 hundred and fifty times ; on one side twenty- eight times, and six times it arose 

 from the femoral artery. 



