196 ANATOMY OF THE ABDOMEN, ETC. 



the deep fascia, and then, reappearing from beneath it, is 

 distributed to the external organs of generation. It is tin 

 largest of the superficial arteries. 



ANATOMY OF FEMORAL HERNIA. 



Inasmuch as the dissection of the internal abdominal muscles, and 

 the parts in relation to them, will destroy many of those connected 

 with the anatomy of femoral hernia, it is desirable to proceed to il 

 examination before they are disturbed. Femoral hernia is most ad- 

 vantageously studied upon a female subject. 



The INTERNAL SAPHENA VEIN, commencing on the back 

 of the foot, ascends along the inside of the thigh to join 

 the femoral vein ; that part of it exposed in the present 

 dissection, lies between the superficial and the deep fascia, 

 and receives several small veins from the neighborhood ; 

 it passes through an opening in the deep fascia, called the 

 saphenous opening, and then unites with the femoral vein. 

 It is at this opening that femoral, or, as it is sometimes 

 called, crural hernia, takes place. A portion of the super- 

 ficial fascia, perforated by small orifices, which give en- 

 trance to the efferent ducts of the lymphatic glands im- 

 bedded in it, and hence called the cribriform fascia, covers 

 in the saphenous opening. 



The deep fascia, or fascia lata, is a strong fibrous sheath 

 investing the whole lower extremity. The saphenous open- 

 ing, a little to the inside of the middle of the thigh, and an 

 inch below Poupart's ligament, ovoid in shape, and in out- 

 line resembling the reversed Greek letter sigma, divides the 

 fascia lata into two parts, iliac and pubic. The iliac por- 

 tion is on the outer side, and is connected with the whole 

 length of Poupart's ligament ; from this attachment it 

 passes outward and downward, its edge forming the outer 

 margin of the saphenous opening, and constituting what is 

 called its falciform border. This border may be followed 

 round, underneath the saphena vein, and will be found to 

 unite with the pubic portion of the fascia lata on the inside 

 of the opening ; it also blends with the superficial fascia, 

 so that they are only separable by the knife. The pubic 

 portion of the fascia lata is inserted into the spine of the 

 os pubis, and into the pectineal line, where it becomes 

 continuous with the fascia investing the psoas and iliacus 

 muscles within the abdomen. Poupart's ligament, attached 

 to the spine of the os pubis, also extends inward three- 

 fourths of an inch, forming a triangular expansion inserted 



