PELVIC VISCERA, 



INCLUDING 



ORGANS OF GENERATION. 



THE PELVIS. 



THE pelvis is bounded above by the superior plane 

 of the true pelvis, formed by the linea ilio-pectinea, and the 

 sacral promontory ; below, by the levator ani muscle and 

 the pelvic fasciaB ; laterally and in front, by the ischia and 

 pubes. It is a curved cylinder, which contains the 

 bladder, rectum, uterus and its appendages, in the 

 female; in the male, it contains the bladder, seminal 

 vesicles, prostate, and rectum. 



THE BLADDER. 



The bladder is a musculo-membranous sac, which, 

 when moderately distended with urine, is ovoidal in 

 form, and then measures about five inches in length and 

 three in width, and holds about one pint. When empty 

 its walls are in contact, and it forms a small, triangular 

 sac, placed deeply in the anterior part of the pelvic 

 cavity ; it presents for examination a summit, body, base, 

 and neck ; the summit is rounded, and has attached to 

 it the urachus, a fibrous structure, the remains of the 

 allantois, and which passes upward to the umbilicus ; at 

 the sides of the urachus are the obliterated hypogastric 

 arteries ; the summit of the bladder, behind the urachus, 

 is invested by peritoneum ; the anterior parts of the sum- 

 mit and body are in contact with the abdominal wall, 

 when the organ is sufficiently distended. The body of the 

 bladder is convex, and covered posteriorly by peritoneum ; 

 at its sides are the vasa deferentia, curving downward 



(393) 



