FEMORAL ARTERY. EXTERNAL PUDICS. 301 



The artery of the" lower extremity, after passing under Pou- 

 part's ligament, takes the name of 



Femoral Artery, 



And proceeds downwards in a direction so spiral, that 

 although it is in front at the upper part of the thigh, it is 

 completely behind at the lower part. It sends branches to the 

 muscles of the thigh, as the aorta does to the viscera of the 

 abdomen, viz. by a few large vessels which expend and ramify 

 to a great distance among them. 



The situation of the adductor muscles, and tbeir attachment 

 to the os femoris, is such, that the artery in this course must 

 necessarily perforate their common tendon, which it does at the 

 distance of one-third of the length of the bone from its low.er 

 end. The aperture in this tendon corresponds precisely with 

 the general course of the artery ; and before the artery enters 

 this perforation, it is on the internal side of the bone; after it 

 has passed the perforation, it is in the posterior side of it. After 

 passing through the tendon of the adductors, it is denominated 

 the Popliteal Artery, and it retains this name until it divides. 



It then proceeds downwards, being very near the bone, and 

 between the tendons of the flexors of the leg, covered by the 

 great nerve of the lower extremity, and very often, also, by the 

 vein. After crossing the articulation of the knee, when it is 

 between the heads of the gastrocnemus muscle, at the lower edge 

 of the popliteus muscle, it divides into the anterior tibial and 

 the common trunk of the peroneal and posterior tibial arteries. 



The Femoral artery, soon after emerging from Poupart's liga- 

 ment, sends off very small branches to the inguinal glands, and 

 other contiguous parts. One of these is, the superficial circum- 

 flexa ilii, which pierces the fascia lata, and runs obliquely out-^ 

 wards toward the crest of the ilium. Another is called, the 

 superficial epigastric, or arteria ad cutem abdominis of Haller* 

 This likewise pierces the fascia lata, and ascends between th& 

 two layers of the superficial fascia obliquely upwards 

 the umbilicus. It is commonly cut, in the operation for in 

 hernia. It also sends off the 

 VOL. ii. 26; 



