continued upon the spermatic
cord by the fibres of the cremaster, E e. These fibres, like those of
the lower border of the internal oblique, arise from the middle of
Poupart's ligament, and after descending over the cord as far as the
testicle in the form of a series of inverted loops, e, again ascend to
join the tendon of the internal oblique, by which they become inserted
into the crest and pectineal ridge of the os pubis. The peculiar looping
arrangement exhibited by the cremasteric fibres indicates the fact that
the testicle, during its descent from the loins to the scrotum, carried
with it a muscular covering, at the expense of the internal oblique
muscle. The cremaster, therefore, is to be interpreted as a production
of the internal oblique, just as the spermatic fascia is an elongation
of the external oblique. The hernia, which follows the course of the
spermatic vessels, must therefore necessarily become invested by
cremasteric fibres.

The fascia lata, H, Pl. 28, being strongly connected and continuous with
Poupart's ligament along its inferior border, the boundary line, which
Poupart's ligament is described as drawing between the abdomen and
thigh, must be considered as merely an artificial one.

In the upper region of the thigh the fascia lata is divided into two
parts--viz., H, the iliac part, and L, the pubic. The iliac part, H,
which is external, and occupying a higher plane than the pubic part, is
attached to Poupart's ligament along its whole extent, from C to D, Pl.
28; that is, from the anterior iliac spinous process to the crista
pubis. From this latter point over the upper and inner part of the
thigh, the iliac division of the fascia appears to terminate in an edge
of crescentic shape, h; but this appearance is only given to it by our
separating the superficial fascia with which it is, in the natural state
of the parts, blended. The pubic part of the fascia, L, Pl. 28, which is
much thinner than the iliac part, covers the pectineus muscle, and is
attached to the crest and pectineal ridge of the os pubis, occupying a
plane, therefore, below the iliac part, and in this way passes outwards
beneath the sheath of the femoral vessels, K I, Pl. 29. These two
divisions of the fascia lata, although separated above, are united and
continuous on the same plane below. An interval is thus formed between
them for the space of about two inches below the inner third of
Poupart's ligament; and this interval is know