ABDOMINAL SPINAL NERVES. 505 



inferior branch, arises from the plexus still lower down, and, 

 after having traversed the front of the iliacus internus, it 

 emerges from the pelvis beneath Poupart's ligament, near the 

 anterior superior spinous process; it then divides into filaments 

 which penetrate to the skin through the femoral fascia, and are 

 distributed along the external anterior face of the thigh. 



The Spermaticus Externus arises from the upper part of the 

 plexus, by a fasciculus from the first lumbar nerve, which is 

 increased by one from the second lumbar. It descends at first 

 in the body of the psoas magnus muscle and then in front of 

 it: it crosses the iliacus internus, somewhat above Poupart's 

 Ligament, by directing its course towards the anterior superior 

 spinous process of the ilium. Here, it involves itself in the 

 edge of the abdominal muscles, and goes on the posterior face 

 of Poupart's Ligament; at the internal abdominal ring it joins 

 the spermatic chord of the male, or the round ligament of the 

 uterus of the female. In the first case, it is distributed to the 

 spermatic chord and scrotum; in the second, to the labium ex- 

 ternum and mons veneris. 



The Cutaneus Externus arises from the lumbar plexus below 

 the external spermatic. It passes across the iliacus internus 

 towards the anterior superior spinous process, about an inch 

 below the spermaticus externus, and crosses the latter nerve 

 just at that process. Emerging from the abdomen, by pene- 

 trating the commencement of Poupart's Ligament, it is distri- 

 buted in several branches to the integuments of the vastus ex- 

 ternus muscle, and along the edge of the rectus femoris : one 

 of the latter extends to the patella. 



The Cutaneus Medius is detached from the anterior crural, an 

 inch or so above Poupart's Ligament. It arises among the 

 cluster of branches, which come off there to be distributed to 

 the iliacus internus muscle, and to the muscles of the thigh. It 

 appears, superficially, on the thigh, for the first time, by pene- 

 trating the sartorius muscle, about the internal edge of the rec- 

 tus femoris; it descends then along the same edge of the latter 

 muscle, and is distributed to its integuments. It does not de- 

 scend so low as the external cutaneous. 



The Cutaneus Anterior arises, also, from the anterior crural 

 nerve. It is on the inner side of the cutaneus medius, emerges 

 VOL. II. 44 



