the hand. Placed at
first between the origin of the abductor pollicis and the calcaneum, the
external plantar artery passes outwards between the short common flexor,
B, and the flexor accessorius, E, to gain the inner borders of the
muscles of the little toe; from this place it curves deeply inwards
between the tendons of the long common flexor of the toes, F f f, and
the tarso-metatarsal joints, to gain the outer side of the first
metatarsal bone, H, Plate 68, Figure 2. In this course it is covered in
its posterior half by the flexor brevis digitorum, and in its anterior
half by this muscle, together with the tendons of the long flexor, F,
Plate 68, Figure 1, of the toes and the lumbricales muscles, i i i i.
From the external plantar artery are derived the principal branches for
supplying the structures in the sole of the foot. The internal plantar
nerve divides into four branches, for the supply of the four inner toes,
to which they pass between the superficial and deep flexors. The
external plantar nerve, passing along the inner side of the
corresponding artery, sends branches to supply the outer toe and
adjacent side of the next, and then passes, with the artery, between the
deep common flexor tendon and the metatarsus, to be distributed to the
deep plantar muscles.

The posterior tibial artery may be tied behind the inner ankle, on being
laid bare in the following way:--A curved incision (the concavity
forwards) of two inches in length, is to be made midway between the
tendo Achillis and the ankle. The skin and superficial fascia having
been divided, we expose the inner annular ligament, which will be found
enclosing the vessels and nerve in a canal distinct from that of the
tendons. Their fibrous sheath having been slit open, the artery will be
seen between the venae comites, and with the nerve, in general, behind
it.

When any of the arteries of the leg or the foot are wounded, and the
haemorrhage cannot be commanded by compression, it will be necessary to
search for the divided ends of the vessel in the wound, and to apply a
ligature to both. The expediency of this measure must become fully
apparent when we consider the frequent anastomoses existing between the
collateral branches of the crural arteries, and that a ligature applied
to any one of these above the seat of injury will not arrest the
recurrent circulation through the vessels of the foot.

DESCRIPTION OF PLATES 67 & 68.

PLATE 67.

FIGURE 1.