FEMORAL ARTERY. 



415 



internal abdominal ring, thus crossing the spermatic cord on the 

 inside. It supplies the rectus muscle and other portions of the 

 abdominal parietes, anastomosing with the circumflex ilii and 

 anterior abdominal arteries. The external pudic artery descends 

 to the dorsum penis, 

 through the inguinal 

 canal, where it becomes 

 the dorsal artery of 

 the penis, and divides 

 into anterior and pos- 

 terior. The anterior 

 is long and flexuous, 

 so as to allow protru- 

 sion of the penis ; it 

 runs along to the an- 

 terior extremity, sup- 

 plying the erectile 

 tissue.: The posterior 

 also passes to the 

 dorsum, and anasto- 

 moses with the inter- 

 nal pudic and obtura- 

 tor, supplying the 

 scrotum. 



The external pudic 

 gives off the subcu- 

 taneous abdominal 

 artery which passes 

 forwards through the 

 inguinal canal, and 

 over the abdominal 

 fascia, reaching the 

 anterior extremity of 

 the suspensory liga- 

 ment of the sheath, 

 where it terminates 

 by numerous subcu- 

 taneous twigs supplying the skin, sheath, and superficial inguinal 

 glands, one twig circling round the umbilicus to inosculate with 

 its fellow from the opposite side. In the female, the mammary 

 replaces the dorsal artery of the penis ; it is much largei" 



Fio. 159. 

 Internal viewof left thigh— showingthearteries. 1, Femoral; 

 a a a. Profunda femoris ; 6, Superficialis femoris ; c, Saphenic ; 

 ddd d, Muscular branches ; e. Femoral nutrient vessels cut- 

 (the femoral becomes the popliteal at about this point) ; /, 

 Femoro-popliteal ; /', Its muscular branches ; /", Its descend- 

 ing branch ; g, Recurrent tibial ; h, United trunli of saphenic 

 and femoro-popliteal ; i, Internal plantar. 



