554 DISSECTION OF THE THIGH. 



and is named external pudic ; another, superficial epigastric, ascends over 

 Poupart's ligament ; and the third, or the superficial circumflex iliac, 

 appears at the outer border of the limb. The large vein in the middle 

 line of the thigh to which the branches converge, is the internal saphenous. 



Some of the small lymphatic vessels may be traced from one inguinal 

 gland to another. 



A small nerve, the ilio-inguinal, is to be sought on the inner side of the 

 saphenous vein, close to the pubes ; and the branch of the genito-crural 

 nerve, or an offset of it, may be found a little outside the vein. 



SUPERFICIAL VESSELS. The small cutaneous arteries at the top of the 

 thigh are the first branches of the femoral trunk ; they pierce the deep 

 fascia (fascia lata), and are distributed to the integuments and the glands 

 of the groin. 



The external pudic artery (b) (superior) crosses the spermatic cord in 

 its course inwards, and ends in the integuments of the penis and scrotum, 

 where it anastomoses with offsets of the internal pudic artery. 



Another external pudic branch (inferior, p. 565) pierces the fascia lata 

 at the inner border of the thigh, and ramifies also in the scrotum. In 

 the female both branches supply the labium pudendi. 



The superficial epigastric artery (c) passes over Poupart's ligament to 

 the lower part of the abdomen (p. 407), and communicates with branches 

 of the deep epigastric artery. 



The superficial circumflex iliac artery (e?) is the smallest of the three 

 branches : appearing as two or more pieces on the outer border of the 

 thigh near the iliac crest, it is distributed in the integuments : it supplies 

 an offset with the external cutaneous nerve. 



A vein accompanies each artery, having the same name as its companion 

 vessel ; and ends in the upper part of the saphenous vein, with the excep- 

 tion of that with the inferior pudic artery : but the description of these 

 veins will be given in a subsequent page. 



The superficial inguinal glands (e) are arranged in two lines. One 

 set lies across the thigh, near Poupart's ligament; and the other is situate 

 along the side of the saphenous vein. In the lower or femoral group the 

 glands are larger than in the upper, and the lymphatic vessels from the 

 surface of the lower limb enter them. The upper or abdominal group is 

 joined by the lymphatics of the penis, by those of the lower part of the 

 abdomen, and by those of the buttock. The glands vary much in number 

 and size ; and not unfrequently the longitudinal set by the side of the vein 

 are blended together. 



Dissection. The deeper layer of the superficial fascia is to be detached 

 from the subjacent fascia lata. Internal to the saphenous vein a thin 

 membrane can be raised by transverse cuts above and below, and by a 

 longitudinal one on the inner side of the thigh ; but external to that vessel 

 there exists scarcely a continuous layer. The handle of the scalpel may 

 be employed in the separation ; and the dissector is to avoid injuring the 

 nerves and vessels. In reflecting the stratum the margin of an aperture 

 (saphenous) in the fascia lata will become apparent. 



The deeper layer of the superficial fascia is a very thin membraniform 

 stratum, which is most evident near Poupart's ligament, and on the inner 

 side of the saphenous vein. About one inch below the ligament it conceals 

 the large saphenous opening in the fascia lata ; and as it stretches across 

 the aperture it is attached to the circumference internally by loose areolar 



