The anatomy of humane bodies epitomized wherein all parts of man's body, with their actions and uses, are succinctly described, according to the newest doctrine of the most accurate and learned modern anatomists / by a Fellow of the College of Physicians, London.

CHAP. XIX.

Of the Bladder.

THE Bladder is called in Latin Vesica urina∣ria,* 1.1 in Greek 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 from its office. It is membranous.

It is seated in the Hypogastrium,* 1.2 betwixt the two Coats of the Peritonaeum, in that Cavity that is formed of the Os sacrum, Hips, and Ossa pubis, and is called Pelvis. In Men it lies upon the Inte∣stinum rectum; in Women it adheres to the neck of the Womb, which is placed betwixt the Blad∣der and the streight Gut: in both it is tied before to the Ossa pubis. Moreover it is knit to the Navel by the Ʋrachus.

The Membranes of it are three.* 1.3

The first is from the Peritonaeum; for it is con∣tained within the reduplication of it. This in Man is besmear'd with fat, but not in Beasts.

The second is thicker, and endued with car∣nous Fibres, which Aquapendens and Bartholin will have to be a Muscle serving for the compression of the Bladder, to squeeze out the Urine, as the Sphincter serveth for constriction, to retain it.

The third and innermost is white and bright, of exquisite sense, as they can witness who are troubled with the Stone.

It hath all sorts of Fibres.* 1.4

Within it is covered with a slippery mucous Crust,* 1.5 which is an Excrement of the third con∣coction of the Bladder. This doth defend it from the acrimony of the Urine.

It is perforated in three parts,* 1.6 to wit, in the Sides, where the Ureters are inserted, to let in the Urine; and before, to let it out.

The Bladder hath two parts,* 1.7 to wit, the bot∣tom and the neck.

The bottom comprehends the upper and larger part of the Bladder, to which the Ʋrachus being tied reaches to the Navel, which together with the bordering Umbilical arteries becomes a strong Ligament in the adult, hindering the Bladder to press upon its neck. Of the Ʋrachus see chap. 33.

The neck is lower than the bottom, and straiter. In Men it is longer and narrower, and being carried to the rise of the Yard opens into the Ʋrethra; in Women it is shorter and wider, and is implanted into the upper side of the neck of the Womb: In both it is carnous, woven of very many Fibres, especially transverse or orbicu∣lar, which lie hid within the streight Fibres that surround the whole body of the Bladder, and these make the Sphincter muscle, which constrin∣ges the neck of the Bladder so, as no Urine can pass out against ones will, unless when it is affected with the Palsie or other malady, by which there sometimes happens an involuntary pissing. As the neck opens into the Ʋrethra, there is hung before it a little Membrane like a Valve, which hinders the flowing of the Seed into the Bladder, when it is emitted into the Ʋrethra. This Membrane is broken by putting up a Cathe∣ter into the Bladder, and sometimes corroded by a Gonorrhoea.

The Bladder is oblong,* 1.8 globous and round, in shape like unto a Pear.

Its Cavity is but one ordinarily;* 1.9 yet some∣times it has a membranous partition, that di∣vides it into two; which yet has a hole in it for the communication of each Cavity. Such a par∣tition was observed in the Bladder of the Great Casaubon.

It hath Arteries and Veins from the Hypogastri∣cae,* 1.10 which are inserted into the sides of its Neck, where they are immediately branched into two, whereof one is spent upon the neck, and the other on the bottom. Nerves it hath (accord∣ing to Dr. Willis) from the lowest Plexus of the Intercostals in the Abdomen, and from the Mar∣row of Os sacrum. For the said Plexus sending two Nerves into the Pelvis, they have each of them a Vertebral nerve joined to them, and so make two new Plexus, from one of which there passes a Nerve that, being divided into many branches, is on each side distributed into the Bladder and its Sphincter.

The use of the Bladder is to receive the Urine from the Ureters and to contain it,* 1.11 like a Cham∣ber-pot, untill the time of excretion, when it is squeezed out of it partly by the help of its own carnous Membrane, and partly of the Muscles of the Abdomen.

Bartholin quotes some observations of Borrichius concerning the Bladder,* 1.12 worthy to be noted, viz. If it be boil'd in acids, it turns into a Muci∣lage; if in salt liquors, it is thickned; if in ole∣ous, or in the liquor of the Alkali salts of Tartar or Herbs burnt to ashes, it is neither thickned nor turns into a Mucilage, but is burnt as if it were laid on burning Coals, and may almost be crumbled to powder. By which, says he, it

appears, with what great danger to the Bladder Men inject into it either acid, salt, or oleous li∣quors, for breaking the Stone.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Its name.
• * 1.2

  Seat.
• * 1.3

  Mem∣branes.
• * 1.4

  Fibres.
• * 1.5

  Crust.
• * 1.6

  Perforati∣on.
• * 1.7

  Parts.
• * 1.8

  Figure.
• * 1.9

  Cavity.
• * 1.10

  Vessels.
• * 1.11

  Ʋse.
• * 1.12

  Observati∣ons.