980 FEMALE ORGANS OF GENERATION. 



veins of the pars intermedia, those of the corpora cavernosa and the glans of the 

 clitoris, and also with the vena dorsalis. The lymphatics accompany the blood- 

 vessels. 



Nwoe*. Besides sympathetic branches, which descend along the arteries, especially 

 for the erectile tissues, there are other nerves proceeding from the lumbar and sacral 

 plexuses ; those from the former being the branches of the genito-crural (p. 660), and 

 those from the latter of the inferior pudendal and internal pudic nerves (p. 675), 

 which last sends comparatively large branches to the clitoris. The mode of termina- 

 tion is not known with certainty ; tactile corpuscles have been seen in the human 

 clitoris, and Pacinian bodies in that of some animals. 



THE FEMALE URETHRA. 



The female urethra, as compared with that of the other sex, is short, 

 representing only the upper half of the prostatic part of the male passage. 

 It is about an inch and a-half in length, and is wide and capable of great 

 distension ; its ordinary diameter is about three or four lines, but it en- 

 larges towards its vesical orifice. The direction of this canal is downwards 

 and forwards, and it is slightly curved and concave upwards. It lies 

 imbedded in the upper or rather the anterior wall of the vagina, from 

 which it cannot be separated. 



The external orifice, or meatus urinarius, opens in the vulva, beneath 

 the symphysis pubis, nearly an inch below and behind the clitoris, between 

 the nymphee, and immediately above the entrance to the vagiiia. From its 

 orifice, which is its narrowest part, the canal passes upwards and back- 

 wards between the crura of the clitoris and behind the pubes, gradually 

 enlarging into a funnel-shaped opening as it approaches and joins the neck 

 of the bladder. There is also a dilatation in the floor of the canal, just 

 within the meatus. 



The mucous membrane is whitish, except near the orifice ; it is raised 

 into longitudinal plicre, which are not entirely obliterated by distension, 

 especially one which is particularly marked on the lower or posterior sur- 

 face of the urethra. Near the bladder the membrane is soft and pulpy, 

 with many tubular mucous glands. Lower down these increase in size and 

 lie in groups, between the longitudinal folds, and immediately within and 

 around the orifice, the lips of which are elevated, are several larger and 

 wider crypts. 



The lining membrane is covered with a scaly epithelium, but near the 

 bladder the particles become spheroidal. The submucous areolar tissue 

 contains elastic fibres. Outride this there is a highly vascular structure, in 

 which are many large veins. Between the anterior and, posterior layers of 

 the triangular ligament, the female urethra is embraced by the fibres of the 

 compressor urethras muscle. 



The vessels and nerves of the female urethra are very numerous, and are 

 derived from the same sources as those of the vagina. 



THE VAGINA. 



The vagina is a membranous and dilatable tube, extending from the 

 vulva to the uterus, the neck of which is embraced by it. It rests below 

 and behind on the rectum, supports the bladder and urethra in front, and 

 is enclosed between the levatores ani muscles at the sides. Its direction is 

 curved backwards and upwards : its axis corresponding below with that of 

 the outlet of the pelvis, and higher up with that of the pelvic cavity. In 

 consequence of being thus curved, its length is greater along the posterior 

 than along the anterior wall, being in the latter situation about four inches, 



