THE VULVA. 107 



men who have abused coition, it is said that these hairs become 

 much curled. 



The Labia Externa are a continuation of the mons veneris 

 downwards in the form of an oblong eminence on either side. 

 Their elevation is produced in the same way by a deposite of 

 fat beneath the skin. They are somewhat broader and more 

 prominent above than below. On the side which is next to the 

 thigh, the integument is common skin, sparingly covered with 

 hair; but on the other face it is a mucous membrane, being a 

 continuation of that of the vagina. The skin here, as well as 

 at the commencement of every mucous membrane, is insensi- 

 bly changed into the latter. They have many sebaceous glands 

 externally, and mucous glands internally, upon them. 



Much cellular membrane, like that of the scrotum, is found 

 in their interior structure; whereby they enjoy great extensi- 

 bility in order to favour the dilatation of tWe parts in parturi- 

 tion. The rima which exists between them is the Fissura 

 Vulvae of authors, and is about twice the length of the orifice 

 of the vagina; this arrangement of it gives increased facility to 

 the expulsion of the foetus. 



The Fourchette or Frenulum Vulvas, is situated at the poste- 

 rior commissure of the labia externa, and is a thin, narrow 

 transverse duplicate of skin; which, owing to its weakness, 

 is most frequently ruptured at the first act of parturition, and 

 then disappears. 



The Clitoris bears, in some respects, a resemblance to the 

 penis of the male, but is by no means so large. It is situated 

 immediately below the symphysis pubis, and consists in a cy- 

 lindrical body of three or four lines in diameter, with two crura. 

 The body is an inch long; the crura are likewise of the same 

 length, and arising from the internal face of the crura of the 

 pubes, unite beneath the symphysis so as to form the body. 

 The body is not straight, but has the anterior half bent down- 

 wards and forwards. The exterior covering, or capsule of the 

 clitoris, in its texture, resembles the elastic ligamentous mem- 

 brane of the corpus cavernosum penis; and is, moreover, filled 

 within by a similar cavernous or cellular structure, which is 

 divided into two equal parts by a septum pectiniforme, and is 



