THIGH AND LEG. 



343 



the same as in the male. The nerve- and blood-supply are precisely the same. 

 The deep perineal fascia transmits the urethra. It is smaller than in the male, 

 on account of the vagina. (See blood-supply on page 339.) 



The perineal body (Fig. 239) occupies the space between the lower part of 

 the vagina and the rectum. It has a base, covered by skin, and an apex between 

 the termini of its anterior and posterior surfaces. From side to side it extends 

 from tuber to tuber of the ischium. Its posterior surface lies in front of the 

 anterior wall of the rectum ; its anterior surface lies behind the posterior vaginal 

 wall. Into it are attached all the muscles of the central perineal point or tendon : 

 (i) The external sphincter ani ; (2) the superficial transversus perinaei ; (3) the 



VESICAL WALL 



CAVITY OF BLADDER 



Prevesical fat 



Deep transver- 

 BUB perinaei 



LABIUM MAJUS 

 TTnstriped muscular fibre 



URETHRA 

 LABIUM MINUS 

 Unstriped muscular flbre 



ANUS 



Internal sphincter ani 

 Part of external sphincter ani 



Vessels 



RECTUM 



COCCYX 



Eecto-cocey- 

 geal muscle 



POSTERIOR LIP OF OS 



UTERI 

 ANTERIOR LIP 



VAGINA 



External 

 sphincter ani 



Internal 

 sphincter ani 



VAGINAL ORIFICE 



FIG. 239. SECTION OF THE FEMALE PELVIS. (After Henle.) 



This perineal body is strong; it owes its strength to elastic 

 The perineal body is about an inch and a half in length from 



sphincter vaginae, 

 connective tissue, 

 before backward. 



The glands of Bartholin probably represent Cowper's glands in the male, 

 but are more superficially placed. They are two little racemose glands, about 

 a third of an inch long, situated one on each side beneath the lateral wall of the 

 vestibule and behind the bulbi vestibuli. The duct, about three-quarters of an 

 inch in length, opens immediately in front of the vaginal orifice opposite its 

 meridian. 



Locate the vagina by superior and inferior limitations. 



