264 DISSECTION OF THE ABDOMEN. 



hypogastric (&) The hypogastric branch pierces the aponeurosis of the external 



branch. oblique muscle above the abdominal ring in one or two pieces, and is 



distributed to the skin of the lower part of the abdomen. 

 ilio-inguinal The ILIO-INGUINAL NERVE becomes cutaneous through the external 



plexus. abdominal ring, and descends to the teguments of the scrotum and 

 of the upper and inner part of the thigh. 



Vessels with CUTANEOUS VESSELS. Cutaneous vessels run with both sets of 

 nerves on the abdomen. With the lateral cutaneous nerves are 

 branches from the intercostal arteries ; and with the anterior 

 cutaneous are offsets from the internal mammary and epigastric 

 vessels. In the groin are three small superficial branches of the 

 femoral artery, viz., pudic, epigastric, and circumflex iliac. 



both lateral The LATERAL CUTANEOUS ARTERIES have the same distribution as 

 the nerves they accompany. The anterior or chief offsets are directed 

 towards the front of the abdomen, and end about the outer edge of 

 the rectus muscle. 



and anterior The ANTERIOR CUTANEOUS ARTERIES are irregular in number and 

 in position, like the nerves. After piercing the sheath of the rectus, 

 they run outwards with the nerves towards the other set of branches. 



From BRANCHES OF THE COMMON FEMORAL ARTERY. Three cutaneous 



artery three offsets ascend from the thigh between the layers of the superficial 



branches : f asc i aj ant [ ramify in the integuments of the genital organs and lower 

 part of the abdomen. The beginning of these vessels appears in the 

 dissection of the thigh (p. 138). 



external The superficial external pudic branch crosses the spermatic cord, to 



pudic, which it gives offsets, and ends in the integuments of the under-part 



of the penis. 



superficial The superficial epigastric branch ascends over Poupart's ligament 

 <ric> near the centre, and is distributed in the fat nearly as high as the 

 umbilicus. 



circumflex The superficial circumflex iliac branch lies below the level of 

 Poupart's ligament, and sends only a few offsets to the abdomen. 



Veins. The companion veins to these arteries join the internal saphenous 



vein of the thigh. 



inguinal The LYMPHATIC GLANDS OF THE GROIN are three or four in number, 



and lie along the line of Poupart's ligament. They are placed 

 between the strata of the superficial fascia, and receive lymphatics 

 from the abdominal wall, from the gluteal region and perineum, from 

 the upper and outer portion of the thigh and from the superficial 



ducts enter parts of the genital organs. Their efferent ducts pass downwards to 

 the saphenous opening in the thigh to enter the abdomen. 



To expose Dissection of the Muscles, The surface of the external muscle 



oblique f the abdominal wall (figs. 97 and 98) is now to be freed from fascia 



muscle. on both gjdes O f t ] ie 



Precautions. it is not advisable to begin cleaning this muscle in front, because 

 there it has a thin aponeurosis, which may be taken away 

 with the fat. Beginning the dissection at the posterior part, the 

 student is to carry the knife obliquely upwards and downwards in 

 the direction of the fibres. The thin aponeurosis before referred to 



