434 A MANUAL OF ANATOMY. 



from femoral hernia, the former being to the inside and the 

 latter to the outside of it. More externally, and always 

 located with ease, is the anterior superior spine of the 

 ilium. The crest of this bone terminates in this point, 

 below which is a notch. In making measurements from 

 this point, the thumb, over which is stretched the measur- 

 ing tape, should be carried up from below until arrested 

 in the notch below the spine. When the measurement 

 is so made, the spine is truly a " fixed point," but as 

 usually performed, by trying to hold the thumb or finger 

 upon the spine, it is not a fixed point, as the measuring 

 finger will slide all around the place over an area of an 

 inch. 



The dense band of fibres stretching between the anterior 

 spine of the ilium and the spine of the pubes, formed by 

 the aponeurosis of the external oblique muscle, is Pouparfs 

 ligament. It is a very important landmark. The um- 

 bilicus is always present, always distinct, hence always 

 easily located. Its position in the middle line a little 

 below the midpoint between the ensiform and symphysis 

 is very constant, the variations not amounting to enough 

 to render it unreliable as a most important reference 

 point. Directly behind it is the body of the third lumbar 

 vertebra. 



Just below the ensiform the abdominal wall is depressed 

 forming the " pit of the stomach" or scrobiculus cordis. 

 A furrow passes from this depression to a little below the 

 umbilicus, marking the linea alba. Below this the abdomi- 

 nal wall is not depressed. 



The masses of the recti muscles and the shallow 

 grooves outside of them are usually seen. The grooves, 

 when present, lie over the linea semilunares. The masses 

 of the recti may be cut up transversely by shallow depres- 



