THE TJBETHRA 



453 



tissue which contains many broad venous channels and forms a sort 

 of spongy erectile_tissjie. This erectile coat is surrounded by_a_ihm 

 muscular coat whose innermost fibers, longitudinal in direction, are 

 continued outward to the meatus, and whose outer circular fibers, de- 



FIG. 417. TRANSECTION OF THE FEMALE URETHRA. 



d, gland-like diverticulum; e, urethral epithelium; L, urethral lumen; m, striated 

 fibers of the urethral muscle; s, erectile tissue of the tunica propria, containing 

 many venous spaces and smooth muscle fibers. X 10. (After Kolliker.) 



ficient toward the meatus, are often slightly thickened near the neck 

 of the bladder" to form an indistinct sphincter urethras muscle. This 

 coat contains occasional striated muscle fibers. The female urethra 

 is scantily supplied with urethral' glands which open near the meatus 

 and supply a meager mucoid secretion. 



