A systeme of anatomy, treating of the body of man, beasts, birds, fish, insects, and plants illustrated with many schemes, consisting of variety of elegant figures, drawn from the life, and engraven in seventy four folio copper-plates. And after every part of man's body hath been anatomically described, its diseases, cases, and cures are concisely exhibited. The first volume containing the parts of the lowest apartiments of the body of man and other animals, etc. / by Samuel Collins ...

CHAP. XXXI. Of the Bladder of Ʋrine.

THe All-wise Archytect hath contrived the noble Fabrick of Mans Body in great Prudence, and hath disposed all the parts in admirable Or∣der, as the Meaner are ministerial to the more Excellent, and so hath de∣signed the Kidneys to be Colatories of the Blood, and the Bladder as a Re∣pository of its watry Recrements, till such a proportion is Collected, as is fit for Expulsion, to give us ease and repose.

The Bladder of Urine hath its situation in the Hypogastrick Region be∣tween the two Coats of the Rim of the Belly, in a Cavity, immured with the Os Coxendicis, and Pubis; in Men it resteth upon the Intestinum Rectum, and in Women it is fastned to the Neck of the Ureters, and in both it is affixed to the Share-Bones, and to the Navil by the Urachus.

Marchettus found no Bladder in a Paduan, but many small Cavities sup∣plying its place. Van Horn, giveth an account of a Maid, who had no Bladder, and the Ureters discharged their Serous Liquor through Glandulous bodies, seated in the Groin. Volcheras Coiter, found two Bladders of Urine in a Maid, the one seated in the common place, and the other sprung out of the right side of the Neck of the Womb, as big again as the true Blad∣der, and was full of Excrements.

Many Animals are defective in reference to Bladders of Urine, as Birds, Serpents, and most Fish, which discharge their Urine, flowing from their Kidneys through Ureters into the Cloaca, in stead of a Bladder.

The substance of this useful part, participates a double Texture, partly Membranous, and partly Fleshy: The first is instituted by Nature for Ex∣tension when full, and Contraction when empty; and the second for Mo∣tion, in order to the Expulsion of Serous Recrements, when the Bladder is aggrieved by them.

The first and exterior Coat is Membranous, derived from the Peritonaeum, between whose Duplicature, it hangeth like a Bottle inverted, and by this sepiment of the Rim of the Belly, it is parted as by a fine Wall from the adjacent parts, lest it should be oppressed by the weight of them, and chiefly of the Guts.

The second or middle Coat is thick and fleshy (as being endued with Carnous Fibres) and encircles the whole inward Circumference of the Blad∣der: This Integument in reference to Motion, is accommodated with three kinds of Fibres; the outward are Transverse, or rather Circular, as surround∣ing the Bladder, the middle Oblique, and the inmost right; the Circular contract it in depth quite round, the second in length, and third are assi∣stant to them both: These different Fibres in their various Motions, do les∣sen the Cavity of the Bladder, and thereby squeese out the troublesome Urine.

Between the outward and middle Coat, Tulpius discovered some Stones to be lodged, which the Learned Author recounts, Lib. 4. Obser. 36. Ʋbi in decrepito Sene Calculi cruciatibus mortuo vidit tres calculos insignis vesicae tu∣nicis adeo involutos, ut ne Lynceis quidem oculis illos perspexisset, nisi Scalpellum involucra abstulisset.

The third Coat of the Bladder is Nervous, integrated of many fine Fila∣ments, finely drawn out, and so closely conjoyned, and the Interstices so well filled up with the accretion of the Succus Nutricius, that the most curious Eye cannot discern the setting together of the Filaments. This part bor∣roweth its most acute Sensation from them, whereupon, least the Bladder should be afflicted with importunate Sollicitations, proceeding from the acri∣mony of Urine, Nature in great Wisdom, hath lined it with a Mucous Matter, of the same nature, as I conceive, with the pituitous Matter besmear∣ing the Stomach and Guts.

The Figure of the Bladder is somewhat Oval when extended, or rather of a Pyriform shape, and as placed in the Body, the bottom upward, it seemeth in some sort to resemble a Bottle, when its Neck is turned downward to drein it; and this situation of it is most convenient for the exportation of the Urine, which as a heavy body, doth naturally tend downward to the Neck, which is highly assisted by the contraction of various Fibres.

The Bladder hath connexion in reference to its bottom with the Navil, * 1.1 by the Urachus, and Umbilical Arteries (which growing dry after the Birth as out of use) are turned into Ligaments; whereupon saith Spigellius, a Learned Anatomist, the consent ariseth between the Bladder and Navil, in those who are afflicted with a large Stone: The Neck of the Bladder is fastned to the Intestinum Rectum in Men, and in Women to the Neck of the Uterus.

The Bladder in this part, is endued with the Figure of an Urinal † 1.2, * 1.3 and in point of its Circumference, hath divers Dimensions, as it is more or less distended by a greater or less proportion of Urine.

It hath most commonly but one Cavity, * 1.4 made for the reception and en∣tertainment of Serous Recrements, which is sometimes divided into two, produced by a Membrane running down the middle of the Bladder.

This part is accommodated with three Perforations, * 1.5 two of them are small, being the Terminations of the Ureters, which let in Urine into the Bladder, and the third is larger, by which it is transmitted into the Ʋre∣thra.

The body and bottom of the Bladder † 1.6, * 1.7 is its more large and upper part, in which the Urine is lodged as in a Repository, lest Man and other Animals, should be perpetually disturbed with the motion of Urine.

Its Neck is a small part, * 1.8 which is somewhat crooked and longer in Men, and terminates into the beginning of the Penis, by which the Urine is discharged into the Ʋrethra, the common passage of Serous Recrements, and Seminal Liquor: It is shorter and broader in Women, and implanted above into the Neck of the Uterus, to which it is firmly affixed.

The Neck of the Bladder † 1.9 in both Sexes is very fleshy, and is furnished with many Transverse, or rather Orbicular Fibres, which contract the Neck of the Bladder, and hinder the involuntary egress of Urine.

Learned Borichius, hath made curious Observations upon the Fibres, rela∣ting to the Neck of the Bladder in both Sexes. In faemina cervix vesicae duos transversos digitos longa, Sphincter parvus, sed non Orbicularis, ut vulgo dicitur, verum secundum longitudinem Sphincteris porrectis Fibris insignis, nisi quod Fibrae illae tantillum ad obliquos Angulos, sed vix notabiliter, inclinarent; hinc sphincterem Corpus Nervosum crassum penis Corpori analogum exterius cin∣git, in quo Fibrae circulares, nisi quod tantillum ad Figuram Helicis inclinent, ut solent in Corpore nostro Fibrae fere nusquam perfectum describere Circulum.

In viro, qua parte calculus exscinditur, observavit idem Borichius Fibras pro∣currere Semiobliquas, non Circulares, adeo{que} earum multas dissecari ab imperitis Lithotomis: In suillo Sphinctere vidit plures esse uno Musculos, eum{que} qui proxi∣me ambit cervicem vesicae, accedere ad circulares Fibras, licet plane circulares non sint, reliquos duos agnoscere Fibras semiobliquas, sicut in viro.

This Learned Author hath observed both in Man and Woman, * 1.10 that the Neck of the Bladder is endued with Oblique and Circular Fibres, which do lessen the passage of Urine: And the Sphincter Muscle, composed of dif∣ferent Fibres, is an Antagonist, which opposeth and countermands the To∣nick motion of the oblique transverse and right Fibres, that belong to the body of the Bladder, except they be stirred up to brisk Contractions, cau∣sed by the acrimony or quantity of Urine; whereupon the Fibres seated in the several Coats of the body of the Bladder, are drawn into Motion by consent, according to the action of the Nervous Fibres of the inward Coat (first resenting some trouble or burden) and make various Contractions, according to their different positions, and thereby every way lessen the Ca∣vity of the Bladder, and force its contents toward the Neck, whereby the Fibres of the Sphincter Muscle are relaxed, and the passage made free and open, to give a reception to the current of Serous Liquor, moving through the Neck of the Bladder into the Urethra.

The Bladder of Urine is furnished with variety of Vessels, * 1.11 with Arteries from the Hypogastrick Branch (derived from the interior region of the Ili∣ack Artery) which doth impart divers Branches to the Body and Neck of the Bladder, and Penis too, as also to the Intestinum Rectum, and Anus, which constitute the external Haemorrhoidal Arteries in Women; this Artery doth communicate many Divarications to the body and neck of the Uterus.

It hath Veins from the Hypogastrick Branch, * 1.12 which are companions of the Arteries, both in the Body and Neck of the Bladder, and do reduce the Blood (transmitted by the Artery) into the Cava.

This part hath some Nerves from the sixt pair, * 1.13 and also others propagated from the Spine, into all regions of the Bladder.

The use of the Bladder is to be a utensil, subservient to the Kidneys, * 1.14 as the more excellent parts, in which the Blood is refined in the Glands as so many Streiners, separating the purer part from its watry Faeculencies, which being received into the Orifices, and conveyed through the Cavities of nu∣merous Urinary Ducts (being so many Pipes) into the Pelvis, as into a small Receptacle, and afterward the soft streams of Serous Recrements glide down the Ureters, as small Channels, carrying them into the Bladder, as into a larger Cistern, entertaining the Urine, till by its quantity or sharp∣ness, it groweth troublesome to the inward Coat of the Bladder, beset with Nervous Filaments; whereupon the Carnous Fibres of the next Coat take the alarum, and put themselves into motion, and by various Contractions, do straighten the hollowness of the Bladder, and thereby squeese the fluid contents into its Neck, and afterward into the common passage of the Urethra.

Nature fore-seeing the importunate sollicitations of Urinary Drops, if the Ureters had been inserted immediately into the Ʋrethra, hath wisely contri∣ved the Bladder as a Urinal, to receive and detain the watry Recrements, lest their perpetual Flux should render him impatient in the Celebration of holy Offices to his Maker, and of the common duty of his Calling, to serve his Neighbour, and support himself and his Family.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The connexi∣on of the Blad∣der.
• † 1.2

  T. 11. u.
• * 1.3

  The dimensi∣ons of the Bladder.
• * 1.4

  The cavity of it.
• * 1.5

  The perfora∣tions of the Bladder.
• † 1.6

  Tab. 11. A.
• * 1.7

  The bottom of the Blad∣der.
• * 1.8

  The neck of the Bladder is furnished with fleshy Fibres.
• † 1.9

  Tab. 11. W.
• * 1.10

  The circular and obliqua Fibres of the Bladder.
• * 1.11

  The Vessels of the Blad∣der, its Ar∣teries.
• * 1.12

  Veins of the Bladder.
• * 1.13

  Nerves of the Bladder.
• * 1.14

  The use of it.