DISTRIBUTION OF THE ARTERIES. 121 



skin and cellular substance of the perineum. The lateral 

 sacral also furnishes the lateral coccygeal, and the inferior 

 coccygeal. 



The external iliac artery, right and left, results from a 

 branch of the posterior aorta, which takes place under the 

 body of the last of the lumbar vertebras, and passes into the 

 muscles, forming the inside of the thighs. The vessel gives 

 off the circumflex artery of the ileum, the artery of the cord 

 and the arteria profunda : the latter having reached the poste- 

 rior quarters, it sends its ramifications into the biceps. Be- 

 fore this vessel dips into the substance of the thigh, it gives 

 rise to a large branch, called the epigastic artery. 



The epigastic artery, in passing the margin of the inter- 

 nal ring, forms a branch which divides into several small 

 arteries ; of these a twig runs to the groin, and ramifies 

 among the adipose membrane and absorbent glands ; then 

 next, a slender branch to the cremaster, and a subcutaneous 

 twig to the thigh, and lastly, the external pudic artery. 



The femoral artery. Regarding the profunda femoris as a 

 limb of the external iliac, we descend to the femoral artery, the 

 subsequent contination of the same trunk. This artery pro- 

 ceeds in an oblique direction down the haunch, preserving 

 nearly the line of its middle ; opposite to the head of the 

 tibia, it branches into the anterior and posterior tibial arteries ; 

 the anterior tibial gives off the inguinal artery, also three or 

 four branches to the sartorius, and one to the side and front 

 of the stifle. Its posterior branches are a large artery to the 

 gracilis, (which detaches twigs to the long and short heads of 

 the triceps,) also one to the biceps. At the back of the stifle 

 come off the popliteal branches, four or five in number, 

 taking opposite directions, which are destined for the supply 

 of the joint ; one runs down upon the posterior tibial mus- 

 cles ; another — the recurrent branches — climbs the back of 

 the os femoris, and anastomozes with the descending ramifica- 

 tions of the profunda femoris.. 



The tibial arteries are a continuation of the femoral trunk, 

 which branch off into tibial arteries at the head of tibia. 

 16 



