276 



Dr. M. Watson. 



measuring half an inch in height, upon the summit of which the 

 external genital orifice is situated. 



Bladder and Urethra. — The parts having been immersed for some 

 time in spirit, the bladder was to a certain extent contracted. It 

 measured when distended 1^ inches in length and was of a regularly 

 oval form. The muscular coat was extremely thick, the separate 

 bundles of muscular fibres being clearly defined beneath the peritoneal 

 investment. The latter covered the whole of the upper surface of the 

 viscus as far back as the entrance of the ureters, as well as the upper 

 portion of its lateral surface. The lower surface of the apex of the 

 bladder was also covered by peritoneum, whence that membrane was 

 reflected to the anterior abdominal wall. The ureters entered the 

 bladder half an inch from the neck, whilst the urethra passed off 

 from the posterior extremity of the organ. The urethra measured 

 \\ inches in length. It passed backwards, lying in the substance of 

 the lower vaginal wall, and opened into the commencement of the 

 urogenital canal in the usual manner. 



Interior of Uterus, Vagina, and Urogenital Canal. — On slitting open 

 the left or unimpregnated horn of the uterus, a well-defined septum 

 uteri was seen to separate the right and left horns. It measured 

 three-quarters of an inch in length, and extended backwards from the 

 anterior or free margin of the corpus uteri. It was attached to the 

 uterine walls in front, above, and below, whilst posteriorly it pre- 

 sented a free, concave, sickle-shaped margin which projected into the 

 cavity of the uterus. 



The muscular walls of the unimpregnated horn were of great thick- 

 ness, and its mucous membrane, which was of a dense leathery con- 

 sistence, was thrown into numerous thick fleshy folds arranged 

 parallel to one another and at right angles with the long axis of 

 the horn. These folds were present throughout the horn, with the 

 exception of a space of half an inch in length next the septum uteri, 

 at which place the mucous membrane was perfectly smooth and devoid 

 of rugaa. On the left side of the septum uteri there was a single 

 longitudinal fold of mucous membrane which extended from the 

 attached to the free margin of the latter. There was no trace of fluid 

 in this horn. The transverse arrangement of the mucous folds in the 

 uterine horn of the racoon seems to be somewhat uncommon, these 

 folds in the majority of mammals being longitudinal and not trans- 

 verse in direction. According to Cuvier, however, a similar transverse 

 arrangement of the mucous rugas is met with in the uterus of the 

 civet cat.* 



On opening the right or impregnated horn its walls were observed 

 to be much thinner than those of the opposite side. This diminution 



* " Lecons," vol. v, p. 149. 



