Outlines of the diseases of women / by John Phillips.

  • Phillips, John
Date:
1897
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Outlines of the diseases of women / by John Phillips. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    hymen as its lower extremity, and two surfaces, an anterior and posterior. Tracing the anterior surface from below upwards, we find it is straight, and attached closely in its lower half to the urethra, which can be felb through it like a crow-quill: the mucous mem- brane over it is arranged in two sets of transverse or oblique folds, somewhat like the arbor vitas of the interior of the cervix. In the upper half it is loosely at- tached to the posterior wall of the bladder and is less rugose, and is reflected on to the an- terior lip of the cervix, forming the anterior cul-de-sac. The whole length of this wall is about 25 inches (Fig. 16). The posterior surface is triangular in shape, with a sinuous and rugose surface: it extends from the base of the hymen to its reflection on to the posterior lip of the cer- vix, which produces the pos- terior fornix or cul - cle - sac ; it is deeper than the ante- rior, and the whole length is 3 inches. The vagina becomes tubular in shape only when the finger or instruments are introduced, or a foetus is being expelled. It is capable of great dilata- tion, especially in its upper portion. The direction of the slit is usually in a straight line, but the condition of the bladder or rectum will ob- viously alter its position—viz., a full bladder pushing it to- wards the sacrum,a full rectum towards the bladder, when its axis becomes almost vertical. The functions of the vagina are :— 1. As an organ of coition ; 2. As a passage for the foetus during labour ; 3. Absorptive, which is very slight compared to that of the uterus. Structure.—(1) The mucous membrane consists of several layers Horizontal section of pelvic floor at the pelvic outlet. (From Macalister's Anatomy). Ua. Urethra. Va. Vagina. L. Levator ani. E. Rectum.
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