384 



DISSECTION OF THE PELVIS. 



sheath on 

 the rectum, 



and on 

 prostate. 



The pros- 

 tate plexus. 



Fascia in 

 the female. 



Ligaments 

 of the fascia: 



anterior 

 ligaments, 



and lateral 

 of the 

 bladder ; 



ligament of 

 rectum. 



The sheath on the rectum encloses the lower three inches of the 

 intestine, and gradually becomes very thin towards the anus ; it is 

 separated from the intestine by a layer of fat. 



On the prostate the sheath is thinner than on the rectum, and 

 very closely adherent ; it is continued downwards to the apex of 

 that body, where it passes into the upper layer of the triangular 

 ligament of the urethra : between it and the proper investing 

 capsule of the prostate are the prostate plexus of veins and some 

 small arteries. 



In the female the fascia has much the same arrangement as in 

 the male ; but the vagina perforates the membrane, and receives a 

 tube from it, like the prostate. 



The true ligaments of the bladder are two on each side, anterior 

 and lateral, and are portions of the recto-vesical fascia. 



The anterior (or pubo-prostatic) reaches from the back of the pubis 

 to the fore part of the prostate and the neck of the bladder ; it is a 

 narrow white band, and encloses muscular fibres of the bladder. 



The lateral ligament is the side piece of the fascia, which is fixed 

 to the upper border of the prostate gland, and to the side of the 

 bladder close above the vesicula seminalis ; from it an offset is 

 continued inwards behind the vesicula seminalis, so as to join a like 

 piece from the other side, and form a sheath for those bodies. 



On each side of the rectum is a strong wide piece of the recto- 

 vesical fascia, which is attached externally to the ischial spine of 

 the hip-bone, and supports that viscus like the bladder. 



Contents of 

 the pelvis, 



and outline 

 of their 

 position. 



Take away 

 fascia, and 

 clean 



RELATIONS OF THE VISCERA IN THE MALE. 



Directions. If the student dissects a female pelvis, he will pass 

 on to page 390 referring to this section for the description of the 

 rectum, bladder and other parts. 



Contents and position (figs. 144 and 145). The viscera of the male 

 pelvis are the rectum, the bladder with the prostate and first part 

 of the urethra, the lower ends of the ureters, parts of the vasa 

 deferentia, and the vesiculse seminales. 



The rectum (fig. 145, k) lies at the back of the pelvis, and takes a 

 curved course in the hollow of the sacrum and coccyx, round the end 

 of which it bends backwards as the anal canal (Symington). The 

 bladder (a) is placed in the concavity of the rectum, its neck being 

 surrounded by the prostate gland (6) ; and the urethra, after per- 

 forating the prostate, curves forwards to the penis. The ureter (/i) 

 descends by the side of the rectum to the lateral angle at the 

 hinder part of the bladder on each side ; and the vas deferens (/) 

 and vesicula seminalis (g) are between the bladder and rectum on 

 each side. Some of these organs are partly invested by peritoneum, 

 as already described. 



Dissection. All the recto-vesical fascia, except the anterior true 

 ligament of the bladder, may be taken from the prostate and rectum. 

 The obliterated hypogastric cord from the internal iliac artery 

 should be followed forwards along the bladder from the back of the 

 pelvis ; and the branches of the same artery to the bladder should 



