ABSORBENTS OF THE INFERIOR EXTREMITIES. 353 



The Popliteal Glands, or those of the Ham, are but three or 

 four in number, and very small in size. They are generally 

 deep-seated, and very near the artery. 



The Inguinal Glands vary in number from eight to twelve 

 or more. They are superficial and deep-seated. The super- 

 ficial communicate principally with the superficial absorbents. 

 The lowermost of them are at some distance below Poupart's 

 ligament, and the uppermost are rather above it. They are 

 exterior to the fascia lata of the thigh. Their number is generally 

 six or eight, while that of the deep-seated is but three or four. 

 They are placed between the lamina into which the fascia 

 superficialis of the thigh divides at this point. 



The superficial absorbents from below, approach very near to 

 each other, and enter these glands. They are commonly dis- 

 tributed among three or four of the lowermost; but some of them 

 pass by these, and proceed to one that is higher up ; and some- 

 times there are absorbent vessels which pass to the abdomen 

 without entering into any of the glands of the groin. 



The deep-seated absorbents pass into the deep-seated glands, 

 which, as has been already observed, are but few, and lie very 

 near the artery, under the fascia of the thigh. The two sets 

 of glands are connected with each other by many absorbent 

 vessels that pass between them. The vessels which finally 

 go out of these glands are considerably less in number than 

 those which enter into them. They proceed under Poupart's 

 ligament, and, in some instances, a large proportion of them 

 passes through three glands which lie below this ligament, and 

 are often so arranged, that they lie on each side of the great 

 femoral vessels, and above them. One very frequently is found 

 on the inside of the femoral vein, in the vacuity between it 

 and the internal part of the ligament. All the absorbents of 

 the lower extremity, however, do not enter these glands. Some 

 pass along the great vessels and enter other glands near 

 the margin of the pelvis. Some, also, descend a short distance 

 into the pelvis, and unite with vessels that are passing from the 

 pelvis to the plexus and the glands that surround the external 

 iliac. 



30* 



