CHAPTER XI. 

 THE PELVIS AND THE GENITAL ORGANS. 



The Pelvis. Before taking up the pelvic organs, the 

 pelvis itself should be described. The name pelvis has 

 been given to the bony ring which is interposed between 

 the spine and the femurs on account of its resemblance 

 to a basin. At the back of this basin or pelvis are the 

 sacrum and coccyx, already described in connection with 



FIG. 62. Front view of the pelvis, with its ligaments. (Borland.) a, Anter- 

 ior sacro-iliac ligament; 6, iliofemoral ligament; c, obturator membrane ;d, sym- 

 physis pub is; e, sacroseiatic ligament. 



the back, and at the sides and meeting in the median 

 line in front are the two ossa innominata or nameless 

 bones, so called on account of their peculiar and inde- 

 scribable shape. At birth each os innominatum is made 

 up of three bones, the ilium, ischium, and pubes, but 

 about the age of puberty the three become welded into 

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