1020 



THE URIXARY OnOAXS 



of tlic bladder, but in mor])id conditions of the ])rostatc the borders of the aperture 

 may be considerably elevated al)Ove the adjacent vesical zone. 



The female bladder (fig. 619) presents no peculiarities of importance, except 

 that its frontal diameter is usually increased at the ex]K>nse of the sagittal diameter, 

 partly in consequence of the greater widtli of the pelvis, and partly owing to the 

 presence of the vagina and uterus, which encroach U}jon the space in the middle 

 line. Lateral asymmetry is very common. Furthermore, the symphysis being of 

 less depth than in the male, the urinary orifice lies nearer its lower border. 



In the infant the bladder is said to be an abdominal organ, but this is not 

 strictly accurate. The relatively small j)elvic cavity at this period of life is occupied 

 mainly liy the rectum, and there is little room for tin- bladder, which hence rises 



Fig. (519.— Section of the Fejiale Pelvis. (After Heule.) 



VESICAL WALL 



CAVITY OF BLADDER 



Prevesical fat 



Dorsal vein 

 CLITORIS 



Deep trausver- 

 sus perinaei 



LABIUM MAJUS 

 Unatriped muscular fibre 



URETHRA 

 LABIUM MINUS 

 TJustriped muscular fibre 



ANUS 

 Internal sphincter ani 

 Part of external sphincter ani 



RECTUM 



COCCYX 



Recto-coecy- 

 geal muscle 



POSTERIOR LIP OF OS 



UTERI 

 ANTERIOR LIP 



VAGINA 



External 

 sphincter ani 



Internal 

 sphincter ani 



i'essi'ls 



VAGINAL ORIFICE 



into the abdomen even in moderate degrees of distension; Ijut, as pointed out T)y 

 Symington, if a line be drawn from the sacral promontory to the top of the 

 symphysis, fully one-half of the bladder will be found to lie below it, and hence 

 within the j)elvis. The internal meatus, however, is behind the upper margin of the 

 symphysis, and the whole organ is hence above the horizontal level of the pubic 

 crests. This relation gradually changes from the period at which indej^endent 

 locomotion begins, till, by the age of six, when the pelvic wall has grown u]i around 

 the viscus, the position does not differ materially from that in the adult. It should 

 also be noted that the recto-vesical fold of j)(,'ritoneum extends in infancy nearly as 

 low as the base of tlie prostate. 



Vessels. — The arteries of the bladder are derived from the internal iliac and 



