THE CLITORIS. 257 



each side of the vagina, to be inserted into the body of the clitoris, insertion ; 

 The muscle covers the bulb of the vestibule and the gland of relations ; 

 Bartholin by the side of the entrance to the vagina. 



Action. Like the other orbicular muscles, the sphincter diminishes and use. 

 that part of the vagina which it encircles ; and it assists in fixing 

 the central point of the perineum. 



The ERECTOR CLITORIDIS (ischio-cavemosus) resembles the erector Erector 

 of the penis in the male, though it is much smaller (see p. 246). 



The TRASSVERSUS PERINEI is similar to the muscle of the same Superficial 

 name in the male. The one description will suffice for the muscle muscle^ 6 

 in both sexes (see p. 247). 



Dissection. The sphincter vaginae should now be carefully 

 removed from the subjacent bulb of the vestibule, and the erector 

 muscles from the crura of the clitoris. 



The BULB OF THE VESTIBULE (semi-bulb, Taylor, fig. 95, ) is an Bulbs of 

 elongated and flattened mass of cavernous or erectile tissue, which is ^ est 

 enclosed in a thin fibrous coat. It lies by the side of the vestibule 

 and the entrance to the vagina, above (deeper than) the nympha, situation; 

 resting against the lower surface of the triangular ligament, and relations ; 

 being covered by the sphincter vaginae muscle (A). Each is about an 

 inch and a half long, and is larger at its hinder end, where it size ; 

 measures about half an inch in depth. By their narrow anterior 

 ends the t\vo bulbs are united in front of the urethra by a small con- 

 necting venous plexus the jjars intermedia / and they are joined by connected 

 a venous plexus to the small glans of the clitoris. These bodies to cUtons ; 

 answer to the divided bulb of the corpus spongiosum urethrae in 

 the male. 



The CLITORIS (fig. 96, b. p. 258) is a small erectile body, and is the is like the 

 representative of the penis. It has the same composition as the pe 

 penis, except that the urethra is not continued along it. Its anterior 

 extremity is terminated by a rounded part or glans (c), and is covered 

 by a fold of the mucous membrane corresponding to the prepuce of has a glans 

 the male. gg* 



In its structure this organ resembles the penis in the following composi- 

 particulars : It consists of corpora cavernosa, which are attached by tlon> 

 crura (one on each side, a) to the ischio-pubic rami, and are blended corpora 

 in the body. A small suspensory ligament descends to it from the 

 superficial fascia of the mons Veneiis ; and along the middle is an 

 imperfect pectiniform septum. Moreover, it possesses a portion of 

 corpus spongiosum, but this structure is limited to the glans corpus 

 clitoridis (c). (The penis is described on p. 253.) 1^^' 



Structure. The outer fibrous casing and the septum are alike in and erectile 

 both penis and clitoris ; and in the interior of the clitoris is an tl! 

 erectile tissue, like that in the male organ. 



The blood-vessels of the clitoris are like those of the penis, and 

 the glans receives the dorsal artery (p. 253). 



Dissection. To see the triangular ligament of the urethra, the To expose 

 erector and the eras clitoridis are to be detached from the bone on 

 the left side. 

 D.A. s 



