THE LOWER LIMB 481 



penis by a branch which extends as far as the prepuce in the vicinity 

 of the corona glandis, Ijdng in its course external to the dorsalis 

 penis artery. The vessel in its course gives branches to the inner 

 inguinal or pubic glands, the deep femoral glands, and the cover- 

 ings of the spermatic cord or of the round hgament of the uterus. 

 It anastomoses ^vith (i) the cremasteric branch of the deep epigastric, 

 in crossing the spermatic cord, that branch being represented in the 

 female by the artery of the round hgament of the uterus ; (2) its 

 fellow of the opposite side ; (3) the inferior or deep external pudic ; 

 and (4) the dorsalis penis artery, which is a branch of the internal 

 pudic from the internal iliac. 



The inferior or deep external pudic artery arises from the 

 common femoral a little lower down than the preceding. Unlike 

 the superior branch, it does not pass through the saphenous 

 opening, but, after piercing the femoral sheath, it passes inwards 

 on the pectineus and adductor longus, under cover of the fascia 

 lata. Having reached the inner side of the thigh, it pierces the 

 fascia lata to be distributed to the side of the scrotmn in the 

 male and the labiiun majus in the female. In its course it gives 

 branches to the muscles upon which it rests, and anastomoses with 

 (i) the superior or superficial external pudiic, (2) the cremasteric, 

 and (3) the superficial perineal, which is a branch of the internal 

 pudic. 



The four arteries just described are spoken of as the cutaneous 

 arteries of the groin. 



Arteria Profunda Femoris or Deep Femoral Artery. — ^This im- 

 portant vessel is one of the terminal branches of the common 

 femoral, arising from the outer and back part of that artery at a 

 point from i^ inches to 2 inches below Poupart's ligament. At first 

 it lies for about | inch on the outer side of the superficial femoral, 

 where it rests upon the iliacus. It then bends sharply, and passes 

 inwards over the pectineus, where it hes immediately behind 

 the superficial femoral vessels and its own vein, the latter being 

 nearest to it. Thereafter it descends behind the adductor longus, 

 resting, in succession, upon the adductor brevis and adductor magnus, 

 and, having become comparatively small, it terminates in the fourth 

 or last perforating artery. As the profunda vessel passes behind 

 the adductor longus, it is separated by that muscle from the super- 

 ficial femoral artery. 



Branches. — ^The branches are as follows : external circumflex ; 

 internal circumflex ; and perforating, which are four in number. 



The external circumflex artery, which is of large size, arises from 

 the arteria profunda femoris close to its origin. Its direction is 

 outwards beneath the sartorius and rectus femoris, and between 

 the nerves arising from the posterior division of the anterior 

 femoral, supplying in this part of its course branches to the sur- 

 rounding muscles, and resting upon the crureus. It terminates by 

 i dixiding into three sets of branches — ascending, transverse, and 

 I descending. 



31 



