TRANSVERSALIS MUSCLE. 



413 



Fig. 137. 



Between the two points of attachment the fibres descend on the front 

 and sides of the cord, forming loops, with the convexity downwards, which 

 reach to and over the testis. The bundles of fibres are united by areolar 

 tissue so as to give rise to a covering on the front of the cord, which in 

 hernia is named the fascia cremasterica. Occasionally the fibres may be 

 behind as well as on the sides and 

 front of the cord. 



Action. It elevates the testicle 

 towards the abdomen under the in- 

 fluence of the will; but it may be 

 excited to contract involuntarily by 

 cold, fear, etc. 



Dissection. On the left side of 

 the body the student is not to make 

 any further dissection of the abdo- 

 minal wall ; and the layers that have 

 been reflected in the groin should be 

 replaced, until the examination of 

 those parts in connection with hernia 

 is resumed. 



On the right side the dissection is 

 to be carried deeper, by the removal 

 of the internal oblique and the cre- 

 master. The last muscle may be 

 reflected from the cord by means of 

 a longitudinal incision. 



To raise the internal oblique, it 

 will be necessary to cut it through 

 firstly near the ribs ; secondly near 

 the crest of the hip bone and Pou- 

 part's ligament; and lastly at the 

 hinder part, so as to connect the two 

 first incisions. Its depth will be in- 

 dicated by a fatty layer between it 

 and the transversal is. In raising 

 the muscle towards the edge of the 

 rectus, let the student separate with 

 great care the lower fibres from those 

 of the transversalis, with which they 

 are often conjoined; and dissect out, between the two, the intercostal 

 nerves and arteries, and the tw r o branches of the lumbar plexus (ilio-hypo- 

 gastric and ilio-inguinal) near the front of the crest of the hip bone : the 

 offsets of the intercostals entering the muscle must be cut. 



Parts covered by the oblique (fig. 138). The internal oblique conceals 

 the transversalis muscle, and the vessels and nerves between the two. 

 Near Poupart's ligament it lies on the spermatic cord and the fascia trans- 

 versalis. The rectus muscle is concealed below by the aponeurosis. 



The TRANSVERSALIS MUSCLE (fig. 138, A ) forms the third stratum in 

 the wall of the abdomen, and differs from the two oblique in having a 

 posterior as well as an anterior aponeurosis. Like the former muscle it is 

 attached on all sides, except where the spermatic cord lies. At the pelvis 

 it mses along the outer third of Poupart's ligament, and the anterior two- 

 ^-..j., -f .1... :i-__ __i t j ie c ] iegt j t takes origin from the lower six 



VIEW OF THE LOWER PART OF THE 



OBLIQUE WITH THE CREMASTER MUSCLE AND 

 THE TESTICLE. 



A. External oblique, reflected. 



B. Internal oblique, 

 c. Rectus abdominis. 



D. Cremaster, with its loops over the sperma- 

 tic cord and the testicle. 



thirds of the iliac crest. 



