VEINS OF THE ABDOMEN. 263 



tween the skin and the fascia of the lower extremity; it is, con- 

 sequently, so superficial, that in persons of moderate corpulency 

 it is very visible, and by slight pressure above, along with the 

 erect position, it becomes so much swollen, that it is easily 

 opened with the lancet where it passes over the internal ankle. 

 It receives, in its ascent, small branches from the anterior and 

 posterior part of the leg, from the corresponding surfaces of the 

 thigh, and near its termination it gets a few of the external pu- 

 dendal veins. 



When the great and the small saphena veins are successfully 

 injected, their branches are seen to form a considerable num- 

 ber of anastomoses, which thereby produce a remarkable venous 

 net-work, just beneath the skin of the whole inferior extremity. 



SECT. IV. VEINS OF THE ABDOMEN. 



The External Iliac Vein, (Vena Iliaca External) being the 

 continuation of the femoral vein, passes into the abdomen, un- 

 der Poupart's ligament, and in contact with the internal margin 

 of the external iliac artery. It there receives the epigastric, 

 and the circumflex iliac veins, corresponding with the arteries of 

 the same name; it also receives a vein of some size, which en- 

 ters by the abdominal canal in adhering to the spermatic chord, 

 and which comes from the coats of the testicle.* It keeps then 

 along the internal side of the artery, somewhat behind it, at the 

 superior margin of the pelvis, and joins the hypogastric vein op- 

 posite to the sacro-iliac junction, and thereby forms the common 

 iliac vein. 



The Hypogastric Vein (Vena Hypogastrica, Iliaca Interna,) 

 comes from the inferior part of the pelvis in front of the sacro- 

 iliac junction, and in company with the hypogastric artery. It 

 arises by branches corresponding with the distribution of the lat- 

 ter to the viscera of the pelvis, and to its external parts; these 

 branches are so numerous at particular points, and have such 

 frequent anastomoses, that they are often named Plexus. Thus, 

 there is a hemorrhoidal plexus for the lower part of the rectum, 



* H. Cloquet, TraitS D'Anat. 



