chap, xxxii.] FEMALE GENITAL ORGANS. 269 



elongated and parallel to the long axis of the vagina. 

 Outside of the submucous tissue is the muscular coat, 

 consisting of an inner circular and an outer longitu- 

 dinal stratum of non-striped muscular tissue. Oblique 

 bundles pass from one stratum into the other. From 

 the circular stratum bundles may be traced into the 

 submucosa and mucosa. A layer of fibrous tissue 

 forms the outer boundary of the wall of the vagina, 

 and in it is the most conspicuous plexus of veins, the 

 plexus venosus vaginalis. This plexus also contains 

 bundles of non-striped muscular tissue, and therefore 

 resembles a cavernous tissue (Gussenbaur.) It is 

 not quite definitely ascertained whether or not there are 

 secreting glands in the mucous membrane of the 

 vagina. Von Preuschen and also Hennig described 

 tubular glands in the upper part of the fornix and in 

 the introitus. 



The lymphatics form plexuses in the mucosa, sub- 

 mucosa, and the muscular coat. The first are small 

 vessels, the second are larger than the third and possess 

 valves. The efferent vessels form a rich plexus .of 

 large trunks with saccular dilatations in the outer 

 fibrous coat. 



There are in the mucous membrane solitary lymph 

 follicles and diffuse adenoid tissue (Loevenstein). 



Numerous ganglia are contained in the nerve 

 plexus belonging to the muscular coat. 



End bulbs in connection with the nerve-fibres of 

 the mucosa have been mentioned in Chapter XY. 



362. (5) The urethra. The structure of the 

 female urethra is similar to that of the male, except 

 that the lining epithelium is a sort of stratified tran- 

 sitional epithelium, the superficial cells being short, 

 columnar, or club-shaped ; underneath this layer are 

 several layers of polyhedral, or cubical cells. Near 

 the orificium externum the epithelium is stratified 

 pavement epithelium. 



