298 PUDIC ARTERY. 



The Ischiatic Artery, 



The other great branch of the internal iliac, passes through 

 the sciatic notch below the pyriform muscle, and proceeds 

 downwards, between the great trochanter of the os femoris and 

 the tuberosity of the ischium, under the gluteus maximus 

 muscle. Soon after its origin, it commonly sends off a conside- 

 rable branch, the Arteria Pudiyt, which also passes downwards: 

 it then continues its course as above mentioned, and its princi- 

 pal branches are distributed to the gluteus maximus and the 

 muscles of the upper and back part of the thigh, while its 

 smaller branches go to the os sacrum and coccyx, and the con- 

 tiguous small muscles. 



An internal branch called the coccygeal, pierces the great 

 sacro-sciatic ligament, and supplies the levator ani and coccygeus 

 muscles. 



Another passes down the back part of the thigh in company 

 with the sciatic nerve to which it sends branches. 



The Pudica Interna, 



As has been just mentioned, is usually a branch of the ischi- 

 atic artery, but sometimes originates immediately from the 

 internal iliac. It proceeds downwards and inwards, diverging 

 from the ischiatic, and passing between the two sacro-sciatic 

 ligaments to the interior side of the tuberosity of the ischium, 

 whence it continues on the inside of the crura of the os ischium 

 and pubis until it approaches the symphysis, when it generally 

 divides into three branches, which are spent upon the organs 

 of generation, from which circumstance the name of this artery 

 is derived. 



Throughout the greater part of this course it lies upon the 

 obturator internus muscle and is closely bound down by the 

 obturator fascia between which and the muscle it is placed. 

 The three terminal branches are the artery of the bulb of the 

 urethra (arteria bulbi) the artery of the corpus cavernosum 

 (arteria corporis cavernosi) and the artery to the back of the 

 penis (arteria dorsalis penis.} 



