CHAPTER XVI. 



THE FEMALE EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL ORGANS OF GENERA 

 TION, WITH THEIR GLANDULAR APPENDAGES PLACENTA. 



BY DR. J. HENRY C. SIMES, 

 Lecturer on Histology, University of Pennsylvania. 



THE external female genitals are the labia majora, labia 

 rainora, and clitoris. 



The labia majora are folds of skin, the subcutaneous tis- 

 sue of which contains a large amount of adipose tissue. Their 

 internal surface has the nature of a mucous membrane, while 

 externally it is similar to the common integument. Here hairs, 

 sebaceous glands, remarkable for their large size, and sweat- 

 glands, are found. The papillae, vessels, nerves, and Pacinian 

 corpuscles do not differ from those found elsewhere in the skin. 



The labia minora may be considered as folds of mucous 

 membrane. They are covered by a laminated pavement-epi- 

 thelium and the deepest layer contains pigment granules. 

 Conical vascular papillae are seen beneath the epithelium. 

 In the connective-tissue framework of the mucous membrane 

 smooth muscular elements are found. Capillary networks are 

 seen on the surface beneath the epithelium, and in the sub- 

 stance of the membrane, from which arise small veins, consti- 

 tuting a plexus, and giving this structure the character of an 

 erectile tissue. Upon the external surface of the folds are found 

 sebaceous glands without hairs. These glands are absent at 

 birth. There is no adipose tissue in the labia minora. 



The clitoris is covered by a mucous membrane which is a 

 continuation of that of the labia minora, and to which it is 

 similar in structure, in so far as epithelium, mucous tissue, and 

 papillae are concerned. The mucous membrane covering the 

 glans of the organ is found to have those peculiar nerve-termi- 

 nations in its structure, the genital nerve-corpuscles, which 



