SCIATIC. 



435 



The internal pudic artery in the female is smaller than in the male. Its origin 

 and course are similar, and there is considerable analogy in the distribution of its 

 branches. The superficial artery supplies the labia pudendi ; the artery of the 

 bulb supplies the erectile tissue of the bulb of the vagina, whilst the two terminal 

 branches supply the clitoris ; the artery of the corpus cavernosum, the cavernous 

 body of the clitoris; and 

 the arteria dorsalis clitori- Fi S- 230.-The Arteries orthe_Gluteal and Posterior Femoral 



dis, the dorsum of that 

 organ. 



The SCIATIC ARTERY 

 (fig. 230), the larger of the 

 two terminal branches of 

 the anterior trunk of the 

 internal iliac, is distributed 

 to the muscles on the back 

 of the pelvis. It passes 

 down to the lower part of 

 the great sacro-sciatic fora- 

 men, behind the internal 

 pudic, resting on the sacral 

 plexus of nerves and Pyri- 

 formis muscle, and escapes 

 from the pelvis between 

 the Pyriformis and Coccy- 

 geus. It then descends in 

 the interval between the 

 trochanter major and tu- 

 berosity of the ischium, 

 accompanied by the sciatic 

 nerves, and covered by the 

 Gluteus maximus, and di- 

 vides into branches, which 

 supply the deep muscles at 

 the back of the hip. 



Within the pelvis, it dis- 

 tributes branches to the 

 Pyriformis,Coccygeus, and 

 Levator ani muscles ; some 

 hemorrhoidal branches, 

 which supply the rectum, 

 and occasionally take the 

 place of the middle hemor- 

 rhoidal artery; andvesical 

 branches to the base and 

 neck of the bladder, vesi- 

 culae seminales, and pros- 

 tate gland. External to the 

 pelvis, it gives off the coccy- 

 geal, inferior gluteal, comes 

 nervi ischiadici, muscular, 

 and articular branches. 



The coccygeal branch runs inwards, pierces the great sacro-sciatic ligament, 

 and supplies the Gluteus maximus, the integument, and other structures on the 

 back of the coccyx. 



The inferior gluteal branches, three or four in number, supply the Gluteus 

 maximus muscle. 



The comes nervi ischiadici is a long slender vessel, which accompanies the great 



Sttpernntcrnal 



