THE ABDOMEN, INTERIOR. 547 



and inferior, which are distributed to the bladder. The 

 superior gives off the deferential artery to the vas deferens 

 (in the female a similar one to the round ligament), and at 

 the bladder the obliterated hypogastric, which in the foetus 

 was pervious. (ft) The middle hemorrhoidal. This sup- 

 plies the middle section of the rectum, anastomosing above 

 with the superior hemorrhoidal from the inferior mesenteric 

 and below with the inferior hemorrhoidal from the internal 

 pudic. (<r) Uterine. Supplies the lower section of the 

 uterus ; the two arteries form an anastomosis around the 

 neck of the cervix by the circular artery, (d) The vaginal. 

 Four or five small arteries to the side of the vagina, (e) 

 The obturator. It runs forward just below the nerve which 

 it accompanies through the obturator canal. For the ter- 

 minal distribution, see page 583. The pelvic branches are 

 small, only one of them being of any size, viz. : the pubic, 

 which anastomoses upon the inner surface of the pubes with 

 the pubic branch of the deep epigastric. Frequently this 

 anastomosis is by larger trunks, or the obturator may rise 

 (one in three and a half cases) from the deep epigastric 

 artery and pass to the obturator canal at the outer side of 

 the femoral opening, or in a few cases (one in ten) the 

 artery may encircle the femoral opening (likewise any pro- 

 trusion through it, as femoral hernia) to gain the obturator 

 canal around the inner side of the femoral opening. (/) 

 The sciatic artery is the larger terminal branch of the ante- 

 rior trunk of the internal iliac. It passes downward to 

 leave the pelvis through the great sacrosciatic foramen, be- 

 low the pyriformis muscle. For its continuation, see page 

 613. (<") The internal pudic, the smaller terminal branch, 

 passes through the same opening with the sciatic, but above 

 and internal to it. For the rest of the artery, see page 

 411. 



