STRUCTURE OF THE CLITORIS AND VESTIBULE. 321 



epithelium, except that the laminated epithelium of the surface 

 is prolonged for a short distance into their mouths. The. size 

 of the gland varies from 0*5 to 2*5 millimeters. 



The glands of Bartholini open at the side of the introitus 

 vaginae, and agree perfectly in structure with the glands of 

 Cowper in the male. They are of an elongated oval form, lie at 

 the posterior border of the diaphragma urogenitale, and stand 

 in intimate relation with the sphincter muscles by which they 

 are more or less surrounded, whilst a few muscular fasciculi also 

 penetrate between the lobules of the gland. This is especially 

 the case in regard to the niusculus bulbo-cavernosus. The 

 length of the glands varies from 15 to 20 millimeters ; the 

 excretory duct is about the same length, its wall is 0'2 of a 

 millimeter thick, and the tube has a calibre of 1 to 3 milli- 

 meters (Henle). 



The excretory duct is lined near its orifice by laminated 

 pavement epithelium, but elsewhere the cells are columnar. 

 After undergoing frequent division, it terminates in numerous 

 hemispherical or ovoid dilatations acini. These acini, like those 

 of the glands of Cowper, are lined by columnar epithelium of 

 variable height. 



The bloodvessels of the mucous membrane form superficial 

 plexuses from which loops are given off to the papillae. 



The nerves are composed of medullated fibres proceeding 

 from the sympathetic and pudendal nerves, and are especially 

 numerous in the mucous membrane of the glans. On these 

 nerves the terminal bulbs of Krause and Pacinian corpuscles 

 may be discovered. 



III. HYMEN AND VAGINA. At the entrance of the vagina, 

 the mucous membrane forms a duplicature the hymen. Its 

 epithelium is laminated and tesselated, and of nearly the same 

 thickness as that of the vestibule 0'3 to 0*5 of a millimeter. 

 The delicate but highly vascular and nervous mucous mem- 

 brane bristles with close-set, conical, divided, and undivided 

 papillae, that project into the epithelium, and are from 0'2 to 

 0'3 of a millimeter long. 



The mucous membrane of the vagina is uneven, pre- 

 senting, especially near the introitus ad vaginam, upon both. 



VOL. II. Y 



