CUTANEOUS VEINS OF FOREARM. 261 



occasionally a small offset from the ulnar nerve. On the outer side with 

 the radial vein is the superficial part of the musculo-cutaneous nerve. 



Close to the hand, in the centre of the forearm, and inside the tendon 

 of the flexor carpi radialis which can be rendered prominent by extending 

 the wrist, the small palmar branch of the median nerve should be sought 

 beneath the fat. On the ulnar artery, close inside the pisiform bone, a 

 small palmar branch of the ulnar nerve is to be looked for. 



At the back of the forearm the largest external cutaneous branch of the 

 musculo-spiral nerve is to be traced onwards ; and offsets are to be followed 

 to this surface from the nerves in front. 



On the posterior part of the hand is an arch of superficial veins. Wind- 

 ing back below the ulna is the dorsal branch of the ulnar nerve ; and lying 

 along the outer border of the hand is the radial nerve : these should be 

 traced to the fingers. 



CUTANEOUS VEINS. The superficial veins are named median, radial, 

 and ulnar, from their position in the limb. 



Superficial arch on th6 back of the hand. This arch is more or less per- 

 fect, and receives the posterior superficial digital veins. At the sides the 

 arch terminates in the radial and ulnar veins. 



The radial vein begins in the outer part of the arch above mentioned, 

 and in some small radicles at the back of the thumb. It is continued 

 along the forearm, at first behind and then on the outer border as far as 

 the elbow, where it gives rise to the cephalic vein by its union with the 

 outer branch of the median vein (fig. 76, 7 ). 



The ulnar veins are anterior and posterior, and occupy the front and 

 back of the limb : 



The anterior arises near the wrist by the junction of small roots from 

 the hand, and runs on the inner part of the forearm to the elbow ; here it 

 unites with the inner branch of the median, and forms the basilic vein 

 (fig. 76, 3 ). 



The posterior ulnar vein is situate on the back of the limb. It com- 

 mences by the union of a branch, '- vena salvatella," from the back of the 

 little finger, with an offset of the venous arch ; it is continued along the 

 back of the forearm nearly to the elbow, and bends forwards to open into 

 the anterior ulnar vein. 



The median vein takes origin near the wrist by small branches which 

 are derived from the palmar surface of the hand ; and it is directed along 

 the centre of the forearm nearly to the elbow. Here the vein divides into 

 external and internal branches (median basilic and median cephalic), 

 which unite, as before seen (fig. 76, 2 ), with radial and ulnar veins. At 

 its point of bifurcation the median receives a communicating branch from 

 a vein (vena conies) beneath the fascia. 



CUTANEOUS NERVES. Some of the superficial nerves of the forearm 

 are continued from the arm : those on the inner side from the large in- 

 ternal cutaneous nerve ; and those on the outer, from the two external 

 cutaneous nerves of the musculo-spiral, and the musculo-cutaneous. On 

 the forepart of the limb there is occasionally a small offset of the ulnar 

 nerve near the wrist. On the back of the hand is the termination of the 

 radial nerve, together with a branch of the ulnar nerve. 



The internal cutaneous nerve (p. 256) is divided into two parts. The 

 anterior branch extends on the front of the forearm as far as the wrist, 

 and supplies the integuments on the inner half of the anterior surface. 

 Near the wrist it communicates sometimes with a cutaneous offset from 



