KIDNEY. 



under tViefe. In women he found fibres at tlie anterior part 

 deciiflating at confiderable angles, fo as to form a kind of 

 circle ; in other inllanccs they were more tranfvcrfe. The 

 inferior fibres are tranfverfe, continHous with the circular 

 flratum of the bladder, and covered by the proftate. The 

 fffeft of the coiitraftion of thefe fibres, however flender and 

 obfcure they niay be, muft be tliat of contracting the open- 

 ing about which they are placed. 



The modern French anatomifts will not allow the fibrous 

 fiibllance about the neck of the bladder to be of a mufcnlar 

 nature. " When the neck of the bladder," fays Boyer, " is 

 attentively dilTefted, we find under the external cellular ftra- 

 tum, and between that and the mucous membrane, only a 

 whitilh, thick, firm, and fibrous fubftance, continuous with 

 the mufcular coat, the fibres of which very manifeftly end in 

 it. There is no fphinfler, fince we fee no diftinft miifcle, 

 and the fibres of tlie neck are moreover continued with thofe 

 'of the general mufcular coat. But the ftrufture, which we 

 have juil defcribed, communicates to the neck of the bladder 

 a refilling power, which, although not produced by the 

 aftion of any particular mufcle, is ftill fuperior to the con- 

 tractile tendency of the bladder." Traitc complct. d'Anat. 

 t. 4- P 49°- 



The mufcular coat of the bladder is proportionally thicker 

 in the foetus and child, than in tlie adult The irritability 

 of the organ, and the force exerted in expeUing its conteiits, 

 "fcem to be greater in the early years of life. 



The name of nervous coat has been given to a uhuilh 

 ftratum, placed between the mufcular and mucous coats. 

 The ftrufture of this is completely cellular ; it is loofcr 

 towards the former, and more clofe towards the latter of the 

 tunics. It is very extenfible, and recovers itfelf after diftcn- 

 tion, forming, in conjunftion with the mucous membrane, 

 the folds which we have defcribed in the inner furface of the 

 organ. It contributes confiderably to the folidity of the 

 fides of the bladder. 



The internal or mucous coat lines the whole interior. It 

 is continuous on one fide, with the linings of the ureters ; 

 and on the other, with that of the urethra. To its ex- 

 ternal furface adheres the cellular ftratum juft defcribed. 

 Internally it is perfectly fmooth, having no vifible villi, nor 

 any other inequalities except the rugi which aiife from con- 

 traction of the mufcular coat. Its furface is conftantly 

 covered by a mucous fluid, deftined, in the opinion of phy- 

 fiologifts, to proteft it from the irritating qualities of the 

 urine. This fecretion muft be perpetually removed by the 

 urine and perpetually renewed. It is expelled in that fluid, 

 and becomes fenfible by chemical analyfis. When any caufe 

 of irritation affects the bladder, as for example, when a cal- 

 culus is contained in it, this mucus is voided in very large 

 quantities, to the amount of fome ounces at each time of 

 making water : in fuch cafes it often fubfides and concretes 

 into a tolerably firm jelly. 



The fources of this fecretion cannot be eafily demon- 

 ftrated ; although, as Hallcr obferves, the glands of the 

 bladder are mentioned as familiarly as if they were vifible on 

 fuperficial infpeftion. Is the mucus poured out by the ex- 

 halants of the internal membrane, or fecreted in a glandular 

 apparatus ? Sometimes, but rarely, fays Haller, have I feen 

 fimple follicles on the external furface of the mucous cont, 

 chiefly near the neck of the bladder ; fome round, like thofe 

 ef the cheeks, equal in fize to millet feeds, and in cluftcrs 

 iu the female, others fmaller. At other times I faw no fol- 

 licles, but mere pores." Element. Phyfiol. lib. 26. feft. 2. 



The mucous membrane is thin and whitidi, particularly 

 towards the neck of the bladdir ; in other parts it has a 

 fomewhjrt red tint. We do not know much of its organiza- 



tion or properties. It is continuous, through the urethra, 

 with the epidermis, and fecms to refemble that part in being 

 occafionally detached in fhrcds, and renewed. 



A whitilh eminence is continued from the ureter on each 

 fide towards the mouth of the urethra, and fometimes feems 

 connefted to the verumontanum. It is a firm fubftance, 

 conneftcd to the mucous membrane, and it forms the trigo- 

 num veficiE already defcribed. According to Hallcr and 

 Morgagni, thefe rifings are not conftant. 



The arteries of the bladder are derived chiefly from the 

 umbilical ; fome fmall ones come from other branches of the 

 internal iliac. Tlie epigaltric fends tvvigs towards the fun- 

 dus. They anaftomofe together, and form an elegant r;et- 

 work between the mufcular and mucous coats, extending 

 alfo into the latter. The veins, following the divilioiis of 

 the arteries, terminate on each fide in the obturator and in- 

 ternal iliac veins. They ramify chiefly on the lateral and 

 inferior regions of the organ, where they form, together 

 with thofe of the reCliim, a confiderable plexus. 



The lymphatics arife from all points of the internal furface, 

 and generally follow the blood-ved'els. I'hey go through 

 fmall glands m the courfe of the umbilical arteries, and end 

 in the hypogallric plexus. 



The nerves come from tlie facral ur,d from the great 

 fympathetic. 



The urethra of the male has been defcribed in the article 

 GrvNEitAxroN ; we muft infcrt in this place an account of 

 that canal in the female. It is about an inch or a little more 

 in length, but much larger and more fufceptible of dilatation 

 than in man. Itj (hortnefs and large diameter enable it to 

 tranfmit ftones of a confiderable fizo ; confequeutly, the 

 operation of lithotomy is much lefs frequently performed on 

 females than on males ; and the former lnfl'cr, on the whole, 

 much lefs from calculous complaints. It ha- litci. enlarged 

 by fponge tents fniTiciently to ad.mit tlie finger and thumb. 

 Its direftion is nearly horizontal from the neck of the blad- 

 der, at which it begins, under the pubes and clitoris to the 

 pudenda; but it defcribes a very flight curve, of v.'hich the 

 concavity is turned upwards, and the convexity downwards. 

 It correfponds above to the corpus cavcrnofum of the cli- 

 toris, adhering to it by a loofe cellular fubftance. 



Below it is very clofely conneftcd to the vagina, parti- 

 cularly in front, and forms a longitudinal projedlion, which 

 is fufficiently confpicuous on the front of the canal. The 

 anterior extremity is fituated rather lower than the poftcrior, 

 and terminates by an opening, called tht meatus iirinarius, 

 at the lower part of the triangular fpace included betiveen 

 the nympha;, and juft on the front edjje of the entrance into 

 the vagina. This aperture, which is fometimes as large as 

 the urethra, which it terminates, fometimes fmaller, is irre- 

 gularly rounded, and has a thick prominent margin, exhibit- 

 ing the excretory dufts of certain mucous glands fituated in 

 the neighbourhood. In pregnancy, particularly towards the 

 latter months, the meatus urinarius is rather drawn inwardS, 

 and not to be difcovered without difficulty. 



The ftrutture of the canal is analogous to that of the 

 male urethra. Externally it is covered by a thick layer of 

 cellular and vafcular matter, the nature of which has not 

 been clearly afcertained, bearing confiderable refemblance 

 on a feCtion to the vafcular texture round the male urethra. 

 This is not confined by any proper covering, as in the male, 

 but is connected by loofe cellular fubftance to the furround- 

 ing parts. At the front, the urethra and vagina are nearly 

 confolidated into one fubftance, and arc covered by a com- 

 mon layer of convoluted veins, called the plexus retiformis. 

 The internal furface of the urethra is lined by a thin mucous 

 membrane, continuous- at one end with that of the bladshi*, 

 8 ... .3^^ 



