ABDOMINAL CAVITY 397 



Towards its termination each external iliac artery is crossed 

 by the deep circumflex iliac vein, and the external spermatic 

 nerve (O.T. genital branch of genito-crural). In the male, 

 the terminal part of the artery is crossed also by the ductus 

 deferens and the internal spermatic vessels, and in the female, 

 by the round ligament of the uterus. At first the external 

 iliac artery rests upon the medial margin of the psoas major 

 muscle, but close to the inguinal ligament it comes to lie 

 directly in front of that muscle. The artery is separated from 

 the muscle, however, by the fascia iliaca, to which it is bound 

 down by a condensed part of the extra-peritoneal tissue. 

 The genito-femoral nerve lies along the lateral side of the 

 artery, and the external iliac vein is placed on its medial 

 side, on a posterior plane ; on the right side, however, the 

 vein, as it passes upwards, gradually comes to lie behind the 

 artery. 



Branches. Each external iliac artery gives off two large 

 branches to the abdominal wall, viz. (i) the inferior epi- 

 gastric ; (2) the deep circumflex iliac. They arise close 

 to the inguinal ligament, and have both been examined 

 (pp. 228, 229). The corresponding veins open into the 

 external iliac vein. 



Venae Iliacae Externae. The external iliac veins are the 

 continuations of the femoral veins. Each external iliac vein 

 commences, therefore, at the upper border of the inguinal 

 ligament, where the femoral vein terminates. As it ascends 

 in the abdomen it lies along the brim of the pelvis minor, on 

 the medial side of the corresponding external iliac artery, but 

 on a more posterior plane. Just before it terminates, by 

 joining the hypogastric vein to form the common iliac vein, 

 it passes lateral to the upper end of the hypogastric artery, 

 and between that artery and the medial border of the psoas 

 major muscle. 



Tributaries. Each external iliac vein receives two tribu- 

 taries, which are the inferior epigastric and the deep circum- 

 flex iliac veins of the same side. 



Deep Lymph Glands. The dissector has, doubtless, 

 noticed a chain of lymph glands in connection with the 

 external iliac artery, the common iliac artery, and also extend- 

 ing upwards upon the vertebral column in relation to the 

 aorta and inferior vena cava. The external iliac glands are in 

 two groups a lower and an upper. The former consists of 



