THE FEMORAL ARTERY. 



577 



blood reaches even the anterior tibial recurrent from the external circumflex by means of 

 anastomosis with the same external articular artery. The perforating branches of the profunda 

 are also seen bringing blood round the obliterated portion of the artery into long tranches 

 (muscular) which have been given off just below that portion. The termination of the profunda 

 itself anastomoses most freely with the superior external articular. A long branch of anasto- 

 mosis is also traced down from the internal iliac by means of the comes nervi ischiadici of the 

 sciatic, which anastomoses on the popliteal nerves with branches from the popliteal and posterior 

 tibial arteries. In this case the anastomosis had been too free, since the pulsation and growth 

 of the aneurism recurred, and the patient died after ligature of the external iliac. 



There is an interesting preparation in the Museum of the Royal College of Surgeons of a 

 limb on which John Hunter had tied the femoral artery fifty years before the patient's death. 

 The whole of the superficial femoral and popliteal artery seems to have been obliterated. The 



External iliac artery. 

 



Deep epigastric artery. 



Spermatic cord. 



Superior v 

 circumflex f J 

 iliac artery, j 



Common femoral. 



Profunda 

 femoris. \ 



External ci 

 cumflex. 



Opening in 

 adductor 

 magnus. 



FIG. 318. Femoral artery and its branches. (From a preparation in the Museum of the Royal College of 

 Surgeons of England.) 



anastamosis by means of the comes nervi ischiadici, which is shown in Porta's plate, is dis- 

 tinctly seen: the external circumflex and the termination of the profunda artery seem to 

 have been the chief channels of anastomoses ; but the injection has not been a very success- 

 ful (inc. 



37 



