634 ABDOMEN 



occur in the form of the bladder as it passes from the 

 empty to the distended condition are the same in the female 

 as in the male (see p. 588). 



Urethra Muliebris (Female Urethra). The urethra is the 

 canal by which the urine leaves the bladder. Its length is 

 about one and a half inches, and it takes a slightly curved 

 course from the neck of the bladder downwards and forwards 

 to the base of the vestibule where it opens on the surface 

 by an aperture called the orificium urethra externum. The 

 meatus usually presents the appearance of a vertical slit, and 

 lies immediately in front of a prominent projection of the 

 mucous membrane at the lower extremity of the anterior 

 vaginal wall. The projection is easily felt, and when the 

 finger is passed over the vestibular area the position of the 

 external orifice is readily localised. On its way to the 

 surface the urethra passes through the two layers of the 

 uro-genital diaphragm, and in the interval between them it 

 is surrounded by the fibres of the sphincter urethras mem- 

 branaceae muscle. In the whole of its length it is closely 

 bound to the anterior wall of the vagina, and its walls are in 

 close apposition, except when the passage is opened by the 

 flow of urine through it. 



The urethra should be split open longitudinally so that 

 its coats can be examined. They are (i) a muscular coat; 

 (2) a submucous coat; (3) a mucous coat. The muscular 

 coat consists of an outer layer of circular and an inner layer 

 of longitudinal fibres. The circular fibres are strongly 

 developed in the region of the neck of the bladder where 

 they form a distinct sphincter. The submucous coat 

 connects the mucous coat loosely with the muscular coat. 

 The mucous coat is thrown into longitudinal folds. It 

 contains a number of gland follicles and lacunae and, in 

 addition, there are present in its ventral wall two longitudinal 

 tubules, the para-urethral ducts, which are also known as 

 Skene's tubules. They open either into the canal close to the 

 orifice or directly into the vestibule close to the orifice. 



The Ureters. The pelvic portions of the ureters in the 

 female are slightly longer than in the male, owing to the 

 greater width of the pelvis and to the greater depth of the 

 bladder. Their relations to the hypogastric arteries and the 

 structures on the side-wall of the pelvis are practically similar 

 to those of the male ureters (p. 592), but the relations of the 



