THE VISCERA. 253 



the posterior, is placed behind the urethra and the base of the 

 bladder, which are firmly united with it. The posterior wall, 

 above convex, below concave, about half an inch longer, abuts 

 upon the rectum. At the sides, the ligg. lata are attached above, 

 thefasc. pelvis and m. levator, below. 



Structure. The vagina consists of a spongy, erectile, very vascular tissue 

 (like corpp. cavernosa), which is enclosed by an external very dense and 

 strong, and an internal less thick fibrous coat. The internal surface is lined 

 by a firmly attached reddish mucous membrane, through the thick Epithelium 

 of which numerous mucous follicles and villi are distinguishable. Transverse 

 columnar folds are placed on both sides of the middle line on the anterior and 

 posterior wall, these are columna rugarutn, anterior and posterior. They dis- 

 appear at the superior part after delivery. The serous membrane (perito- 

 neum) at the posterior uppermost part. 



Vessels : Artt. vaginales, branches of the hypogastricce, the uterinte, vesicaks. 

 Veins : plexus vaginalis upon the anterior and posterior wall (containing fre- 

 quently phkbolithes). 



Nerves : Branches of plex. hypogastric. lateralis (of sympathicus ; 3 4. Sa- 

 cral nerves). 



488. 5. The Vulva, 



lies in the regio pubis under the mons Veneris, about an inch 

 before the orificium ani, and consists of the large and small 

 pudendal lips, the clitoris and the vestibule. 



a. The great or external lips, labia pudendi majora, the parallel 

 folds of skin, passing from above downwards and behind for- 

 wards, which are beset with hair and cushioned with fat (like 

 mons Veneris), which cover the rest of the pudendal parts, have 

 a longitudinal fissure, "n'ma? vulvse," between them. The 

 superior angle is designated commissura anterior, the inferior c. 

 posterior. At the inferior commissura a thin membranous fold, 

 frenulum labiorum, which in delivery is generally torn ; and the 



space between the frenulum and the Hymen, the fossa navicu- 

 laris. The internal surface is smooth, like mucous membrane, 

 and passes into the internal lips. 



Arter. : labiales post, (of pudenda intern.) ; labial, anterr. (of pudenda extern.) 

 Nerves : from iko-hypogastric., spermatic, from the inguinal canal. 



b. The internal or small pudendal lips, /. p. minora s. nymphx, 

 the narrow folds of mucous membrane on the internal surface of 

 the great lips, having the vestibule between them. Above they 

 become broader and divide into two rami, the superior of which 

 blends, above the clitoris, with the prseputium clitoridis, the 

 inferior, losing itself in the clitoris, forms the frenulum clitoridis. 

 Between the layers of the fold an erectile tissue is found [which 

 presents an enlargement below ; in fact corresponds to, and is of 

 the same structure as the bulb of the Corp. Spongiosum of the 



