EXTERNAL ORGANS OF GENERATION. 



709 



becomes covered with hair. Along the line 

 of apposition of the two labia, where the rima 

 is formed, the hair and integument cease, and 

 the mucous membrane common to the rest of 

 the generative canal commences. From this 

 point inwards the surface of the labium is 

 smooth, of a reddish or pink colour, and is 

 here furnished with numerous muciparous and 

 sebaceous follicles, which bedew the parts 

 with an odorous secretion, and preserve their 

 constant moisture. The labia are united 

 above by a slight fremdum, termed the ante* 

 rior commissure, while below they are con- 

 nected, at the anterior margin of the perineum, 

 by a broader posterior commissure. When the 

 parts are here drawn asunder, a second fold 

 appears within the former, just below the 

 entrance of the vagina. The transverse boat- 

 shaped furrow between these constitutes the 

 fossa naviculnris. Beneath the cutaneous and 

 mucous covering of the labia is found a layer 

 of dartoid tissue, the rest of their substance 

 being formed of loose fibrous and adipose tissue. 



The labia represent the scrotum, which in 

 the early foetus is divided into two halves. A 

 raphe indicates in the male the line of their 

 subsequent confluence. In the female the 

 two halves remain permanently separate. 

 The normal descent of the testis into the 

 scrotum in the male, about the seventh month 

 of intra-uterine life, is represented by the ab- 

 normal descent of the ovary into the labia of 

 the female which constitutes ovarian ingui- 

 nal hernia. (See p. 574.) 



When the labia are drawn asunder, the 

 clitoris, the vestibule, nymphae, and vaginal 

 orifice are brought into view. 



THE CLITORIS (Jigs. 481. and 482.), in 

 general form and composition, resembles, on 

 a diminutive scale, the penis, but it is deficient 

 in some of the parts which compose the latter 

 organ. The clitoris lies in the upper part of 

 the vulvar fissure, concealed between the 

 labia, and encased in a fold of mucous mem- 

 brane, the lower border of which forms a hood 

 or prepuce (preputium clitoridis) (Jig. 480. pc), 

 that terminates just above the superior com- 

 missure of the nymphae, and allows the ex- 

 tremity only of the organ to appear. When 

 this covering is removed, the clitoris is seen 

 to consist of the following parts : viz. a 

 small imperforate glans (fig. 481. c), com- 

 posed of spongy erectile tissue, and covered 

 by a highly senwtive mucous membrane, 

 which is abundantly supplied with nerves ; 

 this terminates the free extremity of the organ : 

 a body (fig. 481. b), consisting of two cor- 

 pora cavernosa, united along the median 

 line, and invested by a fibrous tunic. The 

 body extends upwards and backwards to 

 a point a little above the centre of the pubic 

 arch. Here it makes a sudden downward curve, 

 and, after dividing into two crura, is attached 

 by these beneath the iscio-pubic rami of either 

 side. Opposite the point of curvature, a flat- 

 tened suspensory ligament attaches the body 

 of the clitoris to the pubic symphysis. Two 

 ischio-cavernous muscles (erectores clitorides), 

 composed of striped muscular fibre, are in- 



serted into the crura. They have the same 

 relations, and, according to Kobelt, are fully 

 as long as in the male (fig. 483. n). 



Blood-vessels. Two dorsal arteries (fig. 

 481. K), running along the upper surface of the 



Fig. 481. 



The clitoris (enlarged 4 diameters.) (After Kobelt.) 



a, body ; b, angle or curvature ; c, glans ; d, vena 

 dorsalis; e, superficial veins emerging from the 

 root of the glans, and fg, veins of deeper origin. 

 These transmit the blood to the vena dorsalis ; h, 

 dorsal artery; Hi, dorsal nerves ; k, the venous 

 plexus, termed pars intermedia (shown also at d, 

 Jig. 482., and e,fig. 483.); /, communicating venous 

 branch between the glans clitoridis and pars inter- 

 media ; m, ascending venous canals proceeding from 

 the pars intermedia (k) to the under surface of the 

 body of the clitoris ; n n and o, lateral branches of 

 communication between the vessels last named and 

 the vena dorsalis ; p, veins from the labia, and r, 

 from the nymphae and frenulum clitoridis, which 

 enter the pars intermedia ; 7, arterial branches cor- 

 responding with the pars intermedia and commu- 

 nicating veins ; s, frenulum clitoridis. 



clitoris, supply the glans, from which the blood 

 is again collected by superficial veins, emerging 

 from the root of the glans at e, and by others 

 having a deeper origin at f. These transmit 

 the blood to the vena dorsalis, d. From the 

 cavernous bodies the blood is also collected 

 by a series of vascular canals, of which an 

 account will be presently given. 



Nerves. The clitoris is richly endowed 

 with nerves, i i, which are relatively three or 

 four times larger than those of the penis. 

 They pass along the sides of the clitoris, each 

 dividing usually into three branches, the ulti- 

 mate ramifications of which lose themselves 

 z z 3 



