THE ABDOMEN 777 



Common Iliac Lymphatic Glands. — ^These glands are about nitie 

 in number, and are arranged in three groups — external, posterior, and 

 internal — which lie along the common iliac artery. The afferent 

 vessels of the external group are derived from the external iliac 

 glands; those of the posterior group come from the internal iliac 

 glands ; and the afferent vessels of the internal group proceed from 

 (i) the prostate gland, (2) the base of the bladder, (3) the lower part 

 of the vagina, and (4) the cervix uteri. 



The efferent vessels of all* the common iliac glands of one side pass 

 to the lateral aortic glands of the same side. 



External Iliac Artery.— This vessel is the larger of the two ter- 

 minal divisions of the common iliac in the adult. It extends from 

 the lumbo-sacral articulation to the lower margin of Poupart's 

 ligament, where it is continued into the common femoral artery. 

 Its course is along the pelvic brim, and at the groin it passes through 

 the vascular lacuna at a point midway between the anterior superior 

 iliac spine and the symphysis pubis. The course of the vessel may be 

 indicated in the following manner: Draw a line from a point fully 

 I inch below the umbilicus, a finger's breadth to the left of the 

 middle line, to a point at the groin midway between the anterior 

 superior iliac spine and the symphysis pubis, and let this line be 

 slightly curved with the convexity directed outwards. About the 

 upper 2 inches of this line indicate the course of the common iliac 

 artery, and the remainder that of the external iliac vessel. The 

 line indicating the course of the vessel corresponds to the lower part 

 of that which has been given as indicating the course of the common 

 iliac. The vessel is from 3I to 4 inches long, and its direction is 

 downwards, outwards, and forwards. 



Relations — Anterior. — The artery is covered by the parietal peri- 

 toneum and subperitoneal areolar tissue, the portion of the latter 

 which is related to it being known as Abernethy's fascia. The right 

 vessel at its commencement is crossed by the terminal part of the 

 ileum, and sometimes by the v^ermiform appendix, whilst the left at 

 its commencement is crossed by the pelvic colon, and each may be 

 crossed by the ureter. In the female both arteries are crossed 

 superiorly by the ovarian vessels. Near Poupart's ligament each 

 vessel is crossed by the deep circumflex iliac vein, and the genital 

 branch of the genito-crural nerve lies upon it. The spermatic 

 vessels in the male also lie for a short distance upon it in this situa- 

 tion, and the vas deferens (or round ligament of the uterus) arches 

 over it from without inwards. The external iliac glands lie along 

 the artery. Posterior. — ^The artery rests upon the iliac fascia at 

 the pelvic brim, except for a little above Poupart's ligament, where 

 it lies upon the psoas muscle with the intervention of the iliac fascia, 

 as that forms its sheath. The right artery at its commencement 

 has its own vein behind it for a short distance, and each vessel may 

 have the accessory obturator nerve as a deep posterior relation. 

 External. — ^The psoas magnus covered by the iliac fascia, the genito- 

 crural nerve, and its crural branch Internal. — ^The peritoneum, 



