558 FEMALE ORGANS OF GENERATION. [CHAP. XXXVIII. 



inches in length. Mr. Rainey has shown that the round ligament 

 of the uterus contains numerous striped muscular fibres. He de- 

 scribes the round ligament as arising by " thin fasciculi of ten- 

 dinous fibres ; the inner one from the tendon of the internal 

 oblique and transversalis near the symphysis pubis, the middle 

 one from the superior column of the external abdominal ring near 

 to its upper part, and the external fasciculus from the inferior 

 column of the ring just above Gimbernat's ligament." 



The fibres pass backwards and outwards, soon become fleshy, 

 unite to form a rounded cord which runs between the layers of 

 peritoneum forming the broad ligament of the uterus, and is in- 

 serted into the upper and anterior part of the uterus. The action 

 of these fibres would be to draw the uterus forwards and thus 

 elongate the vagina.* 



Vagina, and accessory Female Organs of Generation. The 

 vagina consists of an external or fibrous layer, and a muscular 

 coat. It is lined by mucous membrane. 



The fibrous tissue of the external coat contains many fibres of 

 the yellow elastic element, and a large network of vessels, with 

 plexuses of veins which form an erectile tissue. 



The muscular fibres run partly in a longitudinal direction, and 

 are partly arranged in transverse bundles which encircle the 

 vagina. 



The mucous membrane is of a pale reddish colour, thrown into 

 many small, firm, prominent folds, columns rugarum, separated by 

 fissures. The epithelium of the vagina is very large, and of the 

 scaly variety. These cells are almost always present in the urine 

 of females. The nucleus is usually seen very distinctly, and is of 

 an oval form. They present examples of the largest epithelial 

 cells in the body. Close to the external orifice, the mucous mem- 

 brane forms a re-duplication, termed the hymen, which extends 

 across the posterior part of the opening. 



There are two small glands, the glands of Bartholini, in the 

 female, which correspond to Cowper's glands in the male. They 

 are small branched glands, the ultimate vesicles of which are lined 

 by tesselated epithelium. They appear to secrete a clear yellowisl 

 thick mucus. 



The corpora cavernosa of the clitoris correspond in structure to 

 those of the penis of the male, but are of very small size. Valen- 

 tin has described helicine arteries, as in the penis. In the mucous 

 membrane of the external female genital organs, are numerous 

 * Phil. Trans. 1850, part ii. p. 515. 



