474 



VEINS. 



nous Vein. 



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 P 



II 



It receives numerous large branches from the back part of the leg ; and communicates 



with the deep veins on the dorsum of the foot, and 



Fig. 245. External or Short Saphe- behind the outer malleolus. This vein has only 



two valves, one of which is always found near its 

 termination in the popliteal vein. 



The Deep Veins of the lower extremity accom- 

 pany the arteries and their branches, and are called 

 the vense comites of those vessels. 



The external and internal plantar veins unite to 

 form the posterior tibial. They accompany the 

 posterior tibial artery, and are joined by the pero- 

 neal veins. 



The anterior tibial veins are formed by a continua- 

 tion upwards of the venas dorsales pedis. They 

 perforate the interosseous membrane at the upper 

 part of the leg, and form, by their junction with the 

 posterior tibial, the popliteal vein. 



The valves in the deep veins are very nume- 

 rous. 



The POPLITEAL VEIN" is formed by the junction 

 of the vense comites of the anterior and posterior 

 tibial vessels; it ascends through the popliteal 

 space to the tendinous aperture in the Adductor 

 magnus, where it becomes the femoral vein. In the 

 lower part of its course, it is placed internal to the 

 artery; between the heads of the Gastrocnemius, 

 it is superficial to that vessel ; but above the knee- 

 joint, it is close to its outer side. It receives the 

 sural veins from the Gastrocnemius muscle, the 

 articular veins, and the external saphenous. The 

 valves in this vein are usually four in number. 



The FEMORAL VEIN accompanies the femoral 

 artery through the upper two-thirds of the thigh. 

 In the lower part of its course, it lies external to 

 the artery ; higher up, it is behind it ; and beneath 

 Poupart's ligament, it lies to its inner side, and on 

 the same plane as that vessel. It receives numerous 

 muscular branches ; the profunda femoris joins it 

 about an inch and a half below Poupart's ligament, 

 and near its termination the internal saphenous vein. The valves in this vein are 

 four or five in number. 



The EXTERNAL ILIAC VEIN commences at the termination of the femoral, be- 

 neath the crural arch, and, passing upwards along the brim of the pelvis, terminates 

 opposite the sacro-iliac symphysis, by uniting with the internal iliac to form the 

 common iliac vein. On the right side, it lies at first along the inner side of the 

 external iliac artery, but, as it passes upwards, gradually inclines behind it. On 

 the left side, it lies altogether on the inner side of the artery. It receives, imme- 

 diately above Poupart's ligament, the epigastric and circumflex iliac veins. It 

 has no valves. 



The INTERNAL ILIAC VEIN is formed by the vena3 comites of the branches of 

 the internal iliac artery, the umbilical arteries excepted. It receives the blood 

 from the exterior of the pelvis by the gluteal, sciatic, internal pudic, and obturator 

 veins ; and from the organs in the cavity of the pelvis by the hemorrhoidal and 

 vesico-prostatic plexuses in the male, and the uterine and vaginal plexuses in the 

 female. The vessels forming these plexuses are remarkable for their large size, 

 their frequent anastomoses, and the number of valves which they contain. The 

 internal iliac vein lies at first on the inner side and then behind the internal iliac 



