THE EXTERNAL ORGANS 



1419 



The external orifice of the urethra, or urinary meatus (orificium urethrae externum} 

 (Figs. 1174 and 1177), is situated immediately in front of the vaginal orifice and 

 about an inch behind the glans clitoridis. The orifice usually presents the 

 appearance of a vertical slit, and is surrounded by a prominent elevation of the 

 mucous membrane. On each side of the urinary meatus there may sometimes 

 be seen the minute orifice of the duct of the paraurethral glands, supposed to be 

 the homologues of the prostate. 



VENER/s 



ORIFICE 

 OF VAGINA 



FOSSA 



NAVICULARIS 



1174. The vulva. External female organs of generation. 



The vaginal opening is situated behind the urethral orifice, and its appearance 

 varies with the condition of the hymen, a membranous fold which more or less 

 closes the aperture in the virgin. 



The hymen varies much in shape. Its commonest form is that of a ring, gener- 

 ally broadest posteriorly; sometimes it is represented by a semilunar or crescentic 

 fold with its concave margin turned toward the pubes. A complete septum 

 stretched across the lower part of the vaginal orifice is called an imperf orate hymen. 

 Occasionally the hymen is cribriform, or its free margin forms a membranous 

 irinqe or it may be entirely absent. It may persist after copulation, so that i 

 cannot be considered as a test of virginity. After rupture of the hymen the small 



