710 



UTERUS AND ITS APPENDAGES. 



partly in intricate plexuses within the glans, 

 and partly in terminal loops upon its mucous 

 covering. 



Development. In the foetus of three to 

 four months, the clitoris is scarcely distin- 

 guishable from the penis. But about the 

 latter period the proportionate retrocession of 

 the one organ, and the increased development 

 of the other begin to be apparent. In the 

 male, the groove along the under surface of 

 the penis is closed in, and at the same time 

 the raphe of the scrotum is formed; while in 

 the female, the parts corresponding with the 

 bulb and corpus spongiosum urethra? remain 

 open, and constitute a portion of the rima. 

 These lie in two halves on either side of the 

 entrance of the vagina, while the urethra is 

 developed independently of them. 



NYMPHS. Labia minor a v. internet. These 

 consist of two thin and slightly fleshy folds of 

 mucous membrane (fig- 4-80. ), somewhat re- 

 sembling a cock's comb, which lie on either side 

 of the entrance to the vagina, extending from 

 the clitoris downwards, as far as the middle or 

 lower border of that orifice. The nymphae 

 commence above by two roots. The inner one, 

 thin and membranous, is inserted beneath the 

 glans clitoridis, and forms with its fellow a 

 kind of frcnum. The outer one, more fleshy, 

 passes round the glans, and by its junction with 

 the corresponding portion of the opposite side 

 constitutes the preputium clitoridis (fig. 480. 

 p c) already described. From these two roots 

 or origins each nympha extends downwards 

 and outwards, forming a thin prominence, of 

 variable extent in different subjects, until it 

 becomes merged in the labium of the corre- 

 sponding side, near its posterior extremity. 



The nymphae are composed almost entirely 

 of mucous membrane, which on their outer 

 side is continuous with that of the labia, and 

 upon their inner surface with the lining mem- 

 brane of the vagina. 



Various uses have been assigned to the 

 nymphse. One of these is that they serve to 

 direct the stream of urine issuing from the 

 urethral orifice, as suggested in the classic 

 allusion to the sea nymphs pouring water 

 from a vase which is implied in their name. 

 Another supposition is that the nymphae aid 

 the enlargement of the vaginal orifice, by be- 

 coming unfolded at the time of labour, although 

 no such unfolding can be absolutely observed. 

 It is more probable that their office is that of 

 extending the secreting and sensitive surfaces 

 at the entrance of the vagina. 



The nymphae correspond with that part in 

 the male which forms the tegumental covering 

 of the urethra, but which remains ununited 

 in the female along the median line. 



THE VESTIBULE. This term has been 

 employed in two senses. In its widest sense it 

 includes all the parts which immediately sur- 

 round the vaginal orifice. In a more restricted 

 meaning, it is limited to that triangular patch 

 of mucous membrane (fig. 480. v) which fills 

 up the summit of the pubic arch. In the latter 

 sense the apex of this triangle is formed by the 

 clitoris, the sides by the upper halves of the 



nymphae, and the base by the roof of the vaginal 

 orifice. In the centre of the base is situated 

 the nicafns luinariun, which forms here a slight 

 prominence (fig. 480. u), at a distance of 

 one inch behind the clitoris. Immediately 

 below this point the anterior column of the 

 vagina terminates in a prominent bulb or 

 tubercle, marked usually by numerous trans- 

 verse folds. 



ORIFICE or THE VAGINA, AND HYMKN. 

 Immediately below the vestibule, and between 

 the nymphae, is the orifice of the vagina (fig. 

 480. v a), which, in its undistended state, has 

 the form of a vertical fissure, especially in 

 women who have borne children, but in virgins 

 it is more constricted and circular, and is 

 further narrowed by a fold of the vaginal mu- 

 cous membrane, the hymen, which either en- 

 circles or semi-encircles the orifice. As some 

 important questions in obstetric and forensic 

 medicine relate to this membrane it will 

 receive here a more particular examination. 



The hymen, regarded in an anatomical point 

 of view, possesses no peculiarity or speciality 

 by which it is essentially distinguished from 

 many like structures in other parts. It belongs 

 to the same class of formations as the valvulae 

 conniventes of the intestines, and tiie frill-like 

 folds of mucous membrane which not infre- 

 quently surround the terminal orifices of mu- 

 cous tubes. In the foetus such folds are seen 

 with various degrees of distinctness at the ter- 

 mination of the urethra, vagina, and often of 

 the rectum. The lower end of the vagina, in 

 the fffitus inuariably terminates in a marked 

 projection outwards of the mucous lining of 

 the tube. It takes the form of a laterally 

 compressed conical fold, the base of which is 

 continuous all round with the vaginal walls, 

 but the apex is directed forwards. Its centre 

 exhibits a vertical slit-like orifice, the direction 

 of which is apparently due to the lateral com- 

 pression of the nymphae and labia, between 

 which it lies. This is the hymen. In ad- 

 vanced foetuses it is scarcely distinguishable in 

 form, and only to a certain extent in size, from 

 the similar conical termination of the cervix 

 uteri, which projects into the vagina, as the 

 hymen does between the nymphae. The vaginal 

 portion of the cervix uteri and the hymen both 

 constitute invaginations or intussusceptions at 

 two different points of the same mucous tube, 

 the one marking the division between the 

 uterus and the vagina, the other between the 

 latter and the external parts. The chief dif- 

 ference between them is that the direction of 

 the orifice in the former is transverse, and in 

 the latter vertical. 



Such is the condition of the hymen during 

 fcetal and infantile life. But as growth 

 advances the posterior half becomes much 

 more developed than the anterior, just as 

 the posterior half of the uterus, the poste- 

 rior lip of the cervix, and the posterior wall 

 of the vagina, are commonly larger and more 

 developed than the corresponding anterior 

 halves. Thus it happens that in adults the 

 hymen presents usually the form of acrescentic 

 or scmilunar Ibid, the concave border of which 



