KIDNEY. 



lias been removed, and the fold, which is fometimes formed 

 between it and the bladder,. is deftroycd, air, quickfilver, or 

 a briiUe will enter eafily : I have alfo fqueezed out a drop 

 of gelatinous fluid, and others have tound urine in the ca- 

 vitv. It maj- be demonttrated as far as the umbilicus." 

 Elem. Phyilol. lib. xxv. feft. 2. 



The two umbilical arteries, which are conftantly obli- 

 tcratcd in the adult, form merely ligamcntary cords of a 

 cylindrical figure, placed at the fides of the urachus, and 

 adhering like it with tolerable flrmnefs to the peritoneum. 



The falciform procell'cs of the peritoneum are neceflarily 

 and mechanically produced by tlie reflexions of that mem- 

 brane on tlie three ligamentary cords juil defcribed : they 

 raife the membrane from the fides of the cavity, and make 

 it project into the abdomen in the form of three fmall 

 elongated folds, of which the middle furrounds the urachus, 

 and the two lateral ones the umbilical arteries. They are 

 broader below than above, and more llrongly marked in 

 the fcetus than in the adult. They are united and blended 

 at the navel, but feparate as they defcend ; the middle, 

 which is verticil, and correfponds to the hnea alba, termi- 

 nating on the fundus of the bladder, the lateral ones, which 

 diverge, on the fides of the organ. 



The lower region, which is alfo called the bafis of the 

 bladder, is rather more extenfive from fide to fide than from 

 ijefore backwards. It is fubdivided into an anterior and 

 a pollerior portion : the former, rather more elevated than 

 ihe latter, is narrow, fhaped like a funnel, and called the 

 I'.eck of the bladder. It is embraced by theproftate, and 

 correfponds to the pollerior and inferior part of the fym- 

 phyfis pubis. The poiferior part is large and expanded : 

 it is bounded behind by the kind of cul-de-fac which the 

 peritoneum forms as it is reflefted from the back of the 

 bladder to the redtum. This part covers, in man, the ve- 

 iiculx feminales and vafa deferentia, which arc united to it 

 by cellular tifTue, clofe in front near the proltate, and loofer 

 behind : in the triangular interval, fepavating the vafa defe- 

 rentia, the furface of the bladder is in contail with the 

 redhiin, and connected to it by a loofe abundant cellular 

 fubllancc, containing fat and interfperfed with numerous 

 blood-velTjis, particularly veins. In the female this part of 

 the bladder correfponds to the front of the vagina. The 

 fides of this lower portion of the bladder are covered in both 

 fexes, by the levatores ani, and correfpond to the intervals 

 between the anus and the tuberofitics of the ifchia. 



The internal furface is poiiflied and covered by an abun- 

 dant mucous fecretion. It prefents a great number of 

 wrinkles, more or lefs ilrongly marked, taking various di- 

 rections, and formed by the internal membrane. Thefe are 

 very apparent when the bladder is empty and contrafted, but 

 are effaced almofl entirely when it is dilated. They arife 

 from the unequal contraction of the mufcular and mucous 

 tunics, of which the latter pofielfes a much lefs degree of 

 contraftility than the former. In fome fubjecls there are 

 feen, befides thefe wrinkles, elongated prominences, refem- 

 faling in many points the mufcular columns of the right 

 auricle of the heart. Thefe are formed by the fibres of the 

 mufcular coat, difpofed in large fafciculi, and elevating the 

 mucous membrane fo as to project towards the bladder. 

 Correfponding deprelflons are left between thefe columns, 

 which have given rife to a particular name in French (veflies 

 kcoloniics), diftin;^i!i(hing the bladders with this appear, 

 ance. Befides theie depreifjOiis, there are fometimes cells or 

 pouclies of various fizes and number opening into the cavity, 

 fitoiies may be contained in fuch cells, and are then called 

 encyfted. 



TIjc anterior, pofterior, and. lateral regions of the isternal 



furface of the bladder, prefent nothing befides what we have 

 juft particularized. In the fuperior region there is a fmall 

 pore in the fcetus, often fcarcely vifible, and contlituting the 

 commencement of the urachns, which we have already 

 fpoken of. The inferior region offers to onr view, in fuccef- 

 fion from before backwards : ifl;, the neck of the bladder ; 

 2dly, the triangular fpace ; 3dly, the infertion of the ureters ; 

 and, 4thly, the inferior furface or bottom of the bladder. 



The neck of the bladder, or orifice of the urethra, ix a 

 tolerably large circular opening with thick fide.s, contracted ;i 

 little to form the urethra properly fo called. It occupie- 

 the moft: depending part of the bladder in the fcetus, becaiifc 

 the bottom of the organ (basfond in French) is not deve- 

 loped at that time. In the adult, the neck of the bladder 

 is rather higher than the inferior furface ; fo that there is a 

 flight declivity from the former to the latter, directed from 

 before backwards and from above downwards. Tlie circular 

 figure of the opening in the neck of the bladder is ordinarily 

 interrupted by a flelhy tubercle, arifnig from its lower por- 

 ti.-.n, and called by Lieulaud, wlio firll defcribed it, luette 

 vefica'e, or uvula veficje. Its fize varies, infomuch that it 

 is often fcarcely vifible. It is fubjedt to enlargement, parti- 

 cularly in oldperfons, and then it forms an oblong ti;mj-'.r, 

 rounded at its upper. margin, and, by its fituation, rendering 

 the expulfion of the urine difficult. However, we fumetimes 

 find it fwoln in the dead body v,hen the bladder has not been 

 dillended. It feems to be chiefly formed by the internal mem- 

 brane of the bladder, and to be merely the termination of the 

 anterior angle of the triangular fpace. It is defcribed by 

 Mr. Home, in a paper contained in the Fhilofophical Tranf- 

 aClions, as a third lobe of the proflate gland (See the de- 

 fcription of that gland in the article Gexer.vtio.v.) In 

 the natural ftate, the neck of the bladder is clofcd, except 

 during micturition ; and is only opened for the evacuation 

 of the urine. It is furrounded externally bv the proflate 

 gland. (See Gekkiiation.) The opening is larger in 

 the female j where, if it depended on the prollate, we fhoiibl 

 not expect to find a luette veficale : yet Lieutaud afcribes it 

 equally to tliat fcx. 



The trigoniim veficx (trigone veficale in French) i.'s i 

 triangular portion, bounded by three openings, wliich mark 

 its three angles. Theie apertures are diltant from eai h 

 other about ah inc!), or an inch and a half, and arc, ii 

 front, the opening of the urethra already defcribed, w1ik:I. 

 forms the apex of the triangle ; behind and laterally, the 

 openings of the two ureters. The furface is a little in- I 



clined backwards, and jnft prominent enough to allow of 1 



the faft being obferved. It is much lefs wrinkled than other 

 parts of the bladder, and may alfo be diflinguiihed by its 

 colour, which is not the fame in all fubjeCts, but conilantly 

 difl'erent from that of the rell of the organ, and generally- 

 whiter. The anterior angle, or apex, winch is confounded i 

 with the luette veficale, is nearly three or four times its , | 

 thicknefs ; it grows thinner towards the bafis. Its thick- ' 

 nefs and colour, and the llrong adhefion of the internal 

 membrane, lead us to fu])pofe that its organization is pc- 

 cuhar. It prcferves nearly the fame extent in the com rafted 

 bladder, and is then more prominent. It is more extenfive 

 in the female than in the male bladder. 



The openings of the ureters, occupying the two pollerior 

 angles of the triangular fpace, are narrow, elongated, and 

 directed obliquely forwards and inwards. Their diameter is 

 much fmaller than that of the ureters, and they often ap- 

 pear to be covered by fmall folds of the internal menibrane, 

 which it is neceflary to elevate with a probe in order to lee 

 them clearly. The introdndtion of the probe fliews us the 

 obliquity of the canals, and the extent of their courle be- 

 tween 



