=The Ovaries.=—On either side of the pelvis, close to the fringed end of the Fallopian tube and attached to it, lies a small, hard, almond-shaped organ, called the ovary. This is the intrinsic sexual gland of the female. It contains the small cells which are to ripen and become eggs. Each ovary is said to contain about thirty-six thousand eggs, or ovules. =The Bladder.=—The bladder lies between the pubic bone and the uterus. It is a reservoir for urine, filled by means of two little tubes called ureters, that run down from the kidneys. It drains through the urethra which opens just below the pubic bone in front of, and just above, the vaginal opening. The bladder should be emptied frequently during labor. =The Anus.=—The large bowel (colon) terminates in an opening near the middle of the genital crease. This opening is called the anus. It is closed by a contracting muscle, the sphincter, which acts like a puckering string. Just inside of the opening is a group of large veins which may become enlarged, inflamed, and bleed during pregnancy. They are then called hæmorrhoids. =The Rectum.=—Upward from the anus and to the left of the uterus extends the rectum. This is the end of the intestinal canal and is supplied with an abundance of nerves. When the head presses upon it, it gives the sensation of a bowel movement, and warns the observer of the low position of the head. The anus pouts as the head comes down and the anterior walls become visible. In severe cases of labor, the sphincter is sometimes torn. The bowels should be emptied by an enema as early as possible in the first stage of labor. =The Peritoneum.=—The peritoneum is a thin, glistening, serous membrane, which lines the abdominal cavity and drops down from above over the uprising tops of the bladder and uterus. Folding together at the sides and extending to the walls of the pelvis, it encloses the tubes and round ligaments in deep, flat masses, called the broad ligaments. This is the structure that becomes so perilously inflamed (peritonitis) when infected by germs that find entrance through the genital passage. [Illustration: Fig. 5.—Normal position of pelvic organs, seen from above and in front. They are enveloped in peritoneum. (Bougery and Jacob, in American Text Book.)] THE EXTERNAL GENITALS The external genitals form the vulva. Under this name are included the mons veneris, the labia majora, the labia minora, the clitoris, the vestibule, the hymen and the glands of Bartholin. The entire groove from the mons veneris to a point well up on the sacrum forms a deep fold or crevice, which is known as the _genital crease_. That part of the genital crease lying between the anus and vulva is technically known as the _perineum_ (q.v.) [Illustration: Fig. 6.—The external genitals. (Redrawn from Gray.)]