322 EXTERNAL GENERATIVE ORGANS, BY E. KLEIN. 



the anterior and posterior walls, transverse fold-like or broad 

 papillary and very vascular swellings. These -rugae are 

 partially divided at their free border by furrows of variable 

 depth, and thus form a complex mass of different-sized broad, 

 freely projecting, and club-shaped papillae. 



The vaginal mucous membrane is lined by pavement epi- 

 thelium of about 0*6 of a millimeter thick, resting on a bed 

 of connective tissue, containing much elastic tissue, from which 

 also papillae containing vascular loops project into the deep 

 surface of the epithelium. 



The submucous tissue is loose, and, as will be presently 

 pointed out, contains numerous vascular meshes. 



Subjacent to the mucous membrane, and continuous with it, 

 is the muscular coat, which is arranged in two layers, an inter- 

 nal longitudinal, that is by far the stronger, and an external 

 circular layer. Both also contain oblique decussating fasciculi 

 that pass from one layer into the other. 



From the internal layer muscular fasciculi are also given 

 off, which enter the submucous tissue, and from thence pass 

 into the mucosa as far as to the papillae. These fasciculi 

 are separated from each other by a considerable quantity of 

 connective tissue, so that they do not form a continuous 

 muscular layer. 



External to the muscularis is a layer of loose connective 

 tissue, on which the outer venous plexus lies. Towards the 

 fornix all the layers diminish in thickness. The ultimate 

 distribution of bloodvessels in the mucous membrane of the 

 vagina is as follows : 



The arteria vaginalis penetrates into the vagina from behind, 

 but before entering the muscular layer, gives off branches for 

 the anterior and lateral walls. The arterial branches, after they 

 have perforated the muscularis obliquely, break up partly into 

 a submucous capillary plexus, and partly send small twigs into 

 the papillae, which in those of the upper part form single, but 

 in those of the lower part multiple loops. The capillary loops 

 of the compound papillae, by their frequent anastomoses, form a 

 plexus from which a vein arises that traverses the axis of the 

 papilla. The rugae contain numerous large veins that by their 

 anastomoses form a plexus, together with smooth muscular 



