510 DISSECTION OF THE PELVIS. 



to be cleaned and partly separated from one another at the anterior part 

 of the pelvis ; but the arteries on the rectum are to be preserved. 



The peritoneum gives a partial covering to the viscera, as in the male 

 pelvis. Investing the upper part of the rectum, and forming behind it 

 the meso-rectum, the membrane is continued to the posterior part of the 

 vagina, and the back of the uterus. It covers the posterior, and the 

 greater part of the anterior surface of the uterus, and can be traced to 

 the bladder without again touching the vagina : on each side of the uterus 

 it forms a wide fold (broad ligament), which attaches that viscus to the 

 wall of the abdomen. As the peritoneum is followed upwards it may be 

 observed to cover the posterior surface of the bladder, and the lateral part 

 behind, the position of the obliterated hypogastric artery. 



In the pelvis the serous membrane forms the following ligaments for the 

 uterus and bladder. 



The broad ligament of the uterus (fig. 175) passes from the side of the 

 uterus to the wall of the abdomen, and supports that organ. By its posi- 

 tion across the pelvis, it divides the cavity into an anterior and a posterior 

 portion : in the former are placed the bladder, urethra, and vagina ; in 

 the latter the upper part of the rectum, and the small intestine when it 

 reaches the pelvis. 



Each ligament shows traces of a subdivision into three pieces, corre- 

 sponding with the bodies contained between its two layers. Thus there 

 is a posterior piece belonging to the ovary and its ligament, L ; an anterior, 

 near the upper part, which is appropriated to the round ligament, N ; and 

 a middle piece, the highest of all, surrounds the Fallopian tube, M. 



Anterior and posterior ligaments of the uterus. As the peritoneum is 

 reflected from the rectum to the uterus, and from the uterus to the bladder, 

 it forms tw r o anterior and to posterior folds or ligaments. The anterior or 

 vesico-uterine pair is smaller than the posterior or recto-uterine. 



The recto-uterine pouch corresponds with the recto-vesical in the male. 

 On each side it is bounded by the obliterated hypogastric artery : and be- 

 low, it reaches beyond the uterus, so as to touch the back of the vagina. 



The/a/se ligaments of the bladder are the same as in the male, and are 

 five in number, viz., two posterior, two lateral, and a superior : they are 

 all blended in one large piece of peritoneum that reaches from the bladder 

 to the side and front of the pelvis. In the female the posterior ligament, 

 containing the vessels of the bladder, is less marked than in the male. 



The RECTUM (fig. 175, K ) is not so curved in the female as in the male, 

 and is generally larger. Descending along the middle of the sacrum and 

 coccyx to the anus, the intestine is divided into three parts : 



The first part ends over the third piece of the sacrum, and is enveloped 

 by the peritoneum, except posteriorly: its connections are similar to those 

 of the rectum in the male, p. 504. 



The middle part reaches to the tip of the coccyx, and has the vagina 

 above and in contact with it. The peritoneum extends on the front for a 

 short distance. 



The lower part curves to the anus away from the vagina so as to leave 

 between the two a space, which corresponds, on the surface of the body, 

 with the part of the perinagum between the anus and the vulva. The 

 levatores ani are on the sides, and unite below it, and the sphincter mus- 

 cles surround the extremity. 



The UTERUS (fig. 175, ) is somewhat conical in shape, and flattened 

 from before backwards. Unless enlarged, it lies below the brim of the 



