fascia where this passes
over the pubic bone to unite with the under part of the femoral canal
and sheath. The ring thus bound by dense resisting fibrous structure, is
rendered sharp on its pubic and upper sides by the salient edges of the
conjoined tendon and Gimbernat's ligament, &c. From the femoral ring the
canal extends down the thigh for an inch and a-half or two inches in a
tapering form, supported by the pectineus muscle, and covered by the
iliac part of the fascia lata. It lies side by side with the saphenous
opening, but does not communicate with this place. On a level with the
lower cornu of the saphenous opening, the walls of the canal become
closely applied to the femoral vessels, and here it may be said to
terminate.

The bloodvessels which pass in the neighbourhood of the femoral canal
are, 1st. the femoral vein, F, Fig. 1, Plate 43, which enclosed in its
proper sheath lies parallel with and close to the outer side of the
passage. 2nd, Within the inguinal canal above are the spermatic vessels,
resting on the upper surface of the femoral arch, which alone separates
them from the upper part or entrance of the femoral canal. 3rd, The
epigastric artery, F, Fig. 2, Plate 43, which passes close to the outer
and upper border of, H, the femoral ring. This vessel occasionally gives
off the obturator artery, which, when thus derived, will be found to
pass towards the obturator foramen, in close connexion with the ring;
that is, either descending by its outer border, G*, between this point
and the iliac vein, K; or arching the ring, G, so as to pass down close
to its inner or pubic border. In some instances, the vessel crosses the
ring; a vein generally accompanies the artery. These peculiarities in
the origin and course of the obturator artery, especially that of
passing on the pubic side of the ring, behind Gimbernat's ligament and
the conjoined tendon, E H, are fortunately very rare.

As the course to be taken by the bowel, when a femoral hernia is being
formed, is through the crural ring and canal, the structures which have
just now been enumerated as bounding this passage, will, of course, hold
the like relation to the hernia. The manner in which a femoral hernia is
formed, and the way in which it becomes invested in its descent, may be
briefly stated thus: The bowel first dilates the peritonaeum opposite
the femoral ring, H, Fig. 2, Plate 43, and pushes this membrane before
it into the canal. This covering is