382 HUMAN ANATOMY. 



Internally, the outer margin of the rectus abdominis muscle ; 



Below, Poupart's ligament, forming its base. The struc- 

 tures forming the abdominal wall at this cavity are, from with- 

 out inward : 



1. Skin; 



2. Superficial fascia ; 



3. Intercolumnar fascia ; 



4. Conjoined tendon of the transversalis and internal ob- 

 lique ; 



5. Fascia transversalis; 



6. Subserous tissue; 



7. Peritoneum. 



The anatomical parts concerned in direct inguinal hernia 

 are the same as those in the indirect, already given. The cover- 

 ings of direct inguinal hernia are those just given. 



3. FEMORAL HERNIA escapes through the femoral ring, 

 carrying before it a pouch of peritoneum, descends through the 

 femoral canal and emerges through the saphenous opening in 

 the fascia lata. The anatomical parts concerned in this hernia 

 are: 



The femoral ring, the femoral or crural canal, the septum 

 crurale, crural sheath and deep crural arch, and the saphenous 

 opening. 



The femoral or crural ring is an oval opening, about an 

 inch and a half in diameter, larger in the female and situated 

 below Poupart's ligament, between the inner side of the femoral 

 vein and the margin of Gimbernat's ligament. It is the abdom- 

 inal opening of the femoral canal and it is closed in the recent 

 state by the septum crurale and a small lymphatic gland. It is 

 bounded 



In front, by the deep femoral arch and Poupart's ligament; 



Behind, by the pubes, covered by the pubic portion of the 

 fascia lata and the pectineus muscle; 



Externally, by the femoral vein, from which it is separated 

 by a fibrous septum ; 



Internally, by the deep femoral arch, Gimbernat's ligament, 

 the transversalis fascia, and the conjoined tendon. 



The femoral canal is a space from a quarter to half an inch 

 in length, extending from Gimbernat's ligament to the upper 

 margin of the saphenous opening. Bounded above by" the femoral 

 ring and below by the saphenous opening. It is the innermost 

 compartment of the femoral sheath. 



Anterior wall transversalis f ascia, covered by the falciform 

 process of the fascia lata; 



