URETHRA. 



1255 



cording to the condition of the canal. If urethra : this is evinced by the general disturb- 

 any obstruction exists either at the prostatic ance of health under the influence of diseases 

 part, or in any other situation, the force, size, of this canal : thus, in inflammation from 

 shape, or direction, of the urinary stream is gonorrhoea, or even common causes, irritative 

 altered according to circumstances; and hence, fever is set up, persisting frequently as long as 

 by inspection during the passage of the urine, the disease lasts. So also, when in suspected 

 vye can often arrive at a satisfactory conclu- or actual stricture, a bougie is passed along 

 sion of the nature of the obstruction without the canal, faintness occurs, followed by a class 



the introduction of instruments. 



When, however, the seminal secretion is to 

 be expelled, the condition of the urethra is 

 totally altered, and the canal is diminished in 

 diameter but increased in length from the 

 general distension of the penis with blood, 

 and the consequent erection of the organ. 



of symptoms resembling those of the suc- 

 cessive stages of an ordinary intermittent. 

 When ulceration takes place, a similar train 

 of s\ mptoms sets in. The same is also fre- 

 quently remarked during the passage of stones, 

 or fragments of stone, along the canal. This 

 sympathy must be referred to the general 



ejaculatoria is collected in the bulb, which 

 thus becomes distended. Although it is not 



The direction of the anterior part of the nervous supply derived from the filaments of 

 urethra is altered and straightened to the the sympathetic and cerebro-spinal axis. The 

 utmost ; the prostatic part is raised by the sensibility of the urethra is not the same 

 action of the It-valor prostates, and thus forms throughout ; it is evidently more intense at 

 a gentle inclination with the membranous the commencement, in the prostatic and mem- 

 part ; and the fluid oozing through the vasa branous portions, and near the meatus, than 



in the spongy part generally. The pain, how- 

 ever, accompanying diseases of the urethra is 



possible to see what is going on, yet we may commonly referred to the meatus, in obedi- 



imagine that at this period of the orgasm a ence to the well-known law, that when irrita- 



sort of vermicular movement takes place, and tion of any of the mucous surfaces produces 



that successive contractions and relaxations pain, this is principally felt at the point where 



of the muscular apparatus of this part of the the mucous and cutaneous systems blend into 



genito-urinary system occur. Thus I appre- one another, namely at the outlet of the 



bend that the sphincter vesicae effectually mucous canal. 



closes up the orifice of the bladder, whilst DEVELOPMENT. The development of the 



the levator ani and compressor prostatae ex- male urethra is a subject of considerable 



pel the contents of the vesiculae and the pro- interest both in a physiological and patho- 

 logical point of view, as a comprehension of 

 the phenomena attending it enables us to offer 



tract with considerable and successive effort, a ready explanation of those curious mal- 



and at this moment the muscles surrounding formations to which this canal is not un- 



the membranous part contracting prevent any frequently liable. 



retrogression ^of the seminal and vesicular se- For the description of the development of 

 cretions, and thus the contents of the urethra the intra-pelvic portion of the urethra from 

 are forcibly expelled through the anterior part the uro-genital sinus, the reader is referred 

 of the canal, now made rigid by the distension to the article PROSTATE, in which the separa- 

 of the penis, and by the contraction of its tion between the bladder and rectum in the 

 own peculiar tissue, a forcible muscular male, and the bladder, rectum, and vagina of 

 effort being required to expel the somewhat the female, is considered ; and we have, there- 

 inspissated fluids. The erection of the caput fore, now only to trace the growth and exten- 

 gallinaginis, by the distension of its erectile sion of that portion of the urethra which 

 tissue, has considerable influence in closing traverses the body of the penis. 



state : and further, that after the bulb is dis- 

 tended with fluid, the aceeleratores urinae con- 



up the prostatic part of the urethra, and thus 

 assists in preventing its retrogression into the 

 bladder. 



The action of the aceeleratores urince in 

 expelling the contents of the urethra in the 



Up to the end of the fifth or beginning of 

 the sixth week, the external organs of ge- 

 neration in the male resemble those of the 

 female, and a common opening or cloaca exists, 

 into which the rectum, bladder, and genital 



venereal orgasm, has been denied on the high organs terminate. At the anterior part of 



authority of Cuvier. Kobelt believes that this common outlet a small projection is 



their sole action is to compress the bulb, formed, presenting a concavity below, along 



and thus to force the blood onwards into the which there runs a superficial groove towards 



glans penis, and to increase the turgescence the anus. This corresponds to the clitoris in 



of this body ; but that they have no direct the female, and the penis in the male. A 



influence either in accelerating the flow of slight enlargement now takes place at the 



urine as their name implies, or in the evacua- extremity, which becomes the glans. In the 



tion of the urethra during the act of copu- female the two sides of the groove begin to 



lation.* swell out, and become the labia majora. A 



There are few parts with which the consti- separation now takes place between the open- 



tution has a more close sympathy than the ings of the anus and vagina, and the perinaeum 



begins to be formed. The opening of the 



* Die Mannlicben und Weiblichen Wollust- uro-genital canal is a small aperture in front 



organe des Menscben, &c. Von Kobelt. Frei- of the anus, at the extremity of a slit, which 



burg, 1844. proceeds as far as the root of the penis or 



