1244 



URETHRA. (Lat. Urethra ; Gr. 

 Fr. Urethre.) 



IN THE MALE. The urethra, or uro-sexual 

 canal, is the canal by which the urine, the secre- 

 tion of the testes, of the prostate and Cowper's 

 glands, with that of the vesiculae seminales,are 

 discharged. It commences at the opening in 

 the anterior part of the neck of the bladder, 

 and terminates at the extremity of the glans 

 penis. In the beginning of its course it tra- 

 verses the prostate gland ; it then perforates 

 the triangular ligament, which is stretched 

 across beneath the arch of the pubis ; and 

 after passing through this it enters the groove 

 between and beneath the corpora cavernosa 

 penis, and is now surrounded by the corpus 

 spongiosum urethrse ; and passing through the 

 glands, an expansion of the latter body, it ends 

 in a slit-like orifice, the meatus urinarius. 



Direction. The direction of the canal 

 varies according to the state of the penis : 

 thus in the relaxed condition of this organ 

 it presents curves like the italic Co procum- 

 bent ; if we trace it backwards from the 

 meatus, it will be seen to rise towards the 

 pubis ; thence it descends slightly, and passes 

 beneath the arch of that bone, after which 

 it makes a gentle curve upwards to the neck 

 of the bladder. 



When the penis is erect, the urethra is 

 straight for at least three-fourths of its course, 

 that is, whilst it traverses the spongy body ; 

 after which it makes a rather abrupt curve 

 towards the opening into the bladder. In the 

 introduction of the catheter, the surgeon, by 

 drawing the penis forwards and upwards, 

 straightens the anterior three-fourths of the 

 canal, thus approximating its direction to that 

 which it assumes in the erect state of the 

 penis ; and now, by careful manipulation, in 

 depressing the handle of the instrument be- 

 tween the thighs, to a level with the urethral 

 opening in the triangular ligament, he can, 

 without any difficulty, succeed in passing even 

 a straight catheter into the bladder. 



It is important to remark that the anterior 

 three- fourths of the urethra are loose and 

 pendulous, whilst the remainder is fixed to 

 the pubis in a manner presently to be de- 

 scribed ; a circumstance to be borne in mind 

 in catheterisation. 



The urethra is divided by anatomists into 

 three parts, each presenting characteristic 

 peculiarities. Thus the first part is termed 

 the prostatic portion, because it is surrounded 

 by the prostate gland ; the second is de- 

 nominated the membranous portion, because, 

 when deprived of its surrounding structures, 

 it is little more than a simple membrane ; it is 

 also called the muscular part, because it is 

 encircled by muscular fibres ; and the last, 

 bein<r entirely invested by the corpus spon- 

 giosum, is designated the spongy portion. 



According to a rough measurement, it may 

 be stated that the spongy portion occupies 

 about seven parts, the membranous rather 

 less than one part, and the prostatic rather 

 more than one part of the entire length of the 

 tube. 



URETHRA, 



Length. The urethra has been frequently 

 measured to ascertain its length and diameter; 

 and much attention has been devoted to 

 this subject by various observers, with the 

 view to the treatment of strictures and 

 other diseases incidental to this canal. It 

 need scarcely be remarked that the urethra 

 varies at different periods of life, according to 

 the evolution of the generative organs ; and 

 hence it is much shorter in the child than in 

 the adult, and it is well known frequently to 

 undergo a marked elongation in old persons, 

 in consequence of hypertrophy of the pro- 

 state gland. 



I shall here introduce the measurements in 

 length, as given us by some practical surgeons, 

 whose attention has been especially directed 

 to this subject, observing that the length of 

 the urethra is expressed by the extent to 

 which it can be stretched, by drawing the 

 penis somewhat forcibly forward. 



According to Ducarp, it rarely exceeds nine 

 inches in length. Whately examined the 

 urethra in forty-eight subjects of different 

 heights : these he arranged under three heads, 

 viz. tall, middling, and short. 



In 16 subjects of tall stature, the urethra 

 measured 



In 1 subject, 9 inches 6 lines. 

 8 9 inches. 

 2 8 inches. 

 5 8 inches 6 lines. 

 In 23 of medium stature, it measured 

 In 3 subjects, 9 inches. 



1 8 inches 9 lines. 

 7 8 inches 6 lines. 



2 8 inches 3 lines. 



1 7 inches 6 lines. 



Whilst in 9 of short stature, it measured 

 In 1 subject, 8 inches 9 lines. 



2 8 inches 6 lines. 

 4 8 inches. 



2 7 inches 9 lines. 

 The collective average is therefore nearly 

 81 inches, and the respective averages would 

 stand thus: 



For those of tall stature, it would be Sin. 91. 

 For those of middling stature - 8in. 21. 

 For those of short stature - - Sin. 31. 



Lisfranc examined the urethra in twelve 

 adults, and he found its length to vary from 

 9 to 10 inches. In a negro it measured 12 

 inches. 



M. Petrequin has collected the various 

 measurements of the canal, as given by the 

 French writers on this subject, by which 

 it appears that the estimated length varies 

 from 5} inches to 12 inches. Petrequin con- 

 ducted his own examinations with both 

 straight and curved instruments. With the 

 straight instrument he found the length of the 

 urethra between 5f and 6 inches, whilst with 

 a curved instrument it measured from 6^ to 7 

 inches. The difference he explains by the fact, 

 that, inasmuch as the urethra is not recti- 

 linear, a straight instrument cannot be passed 

 through it without effacing the angle between 



