Electro-physiology and electro-therapeutics : showing the best methods for the medical uses of electricity / By Alfred C. Garratt.
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nerves. These six pairs are known as the sacral nerves. The upper one, called the first, escapes from the vertebral canal through the first foramen in the sacral bone ; the second, third, and fourth through their foramina; the two last from between the sacrum and the coccyx. These anterior branches interlace among themselves, and, with the lumbo-sacral, go to form the sa- cral plexus. Then from it are sent off to this neuralgic region the visceral nerves, which are in some three or four large branches, and arise mostly from the fourth and fifth sacral foramina; these ascend upon the side of the rectum and the urinary bladder; in the female upon the side of the rectum, the vagina, and the bladder. The muscular nerve branches go to the levator ani muscle ; the hemorrhoidal nerve passes through the two ischiatic openings, and goes to the terminal portion of the rectum; also supplying the sphincter ani muscle, and the integument just about the anus. The internal pudic nerve arises from the lower part of the sacral plexus, passes out of the pelvis through the great sacro- ischiatic foramen, below the pyramidalis muscles, and divides into two branches. The upper one {dorsalis penis) turns under and upwards to ascend along the posterior surface of the ramus of the ischium, and with the arteria dorsalis penis goes to the glands, in which it is distributed. At the very root of the organ this nerve gives off a cutaneous branch, which runs along its side, giving branches to the corpus cavcrnosvm, and then, with its fellow of the opposite side, supplies the integu- ment of the upper two thirds of the penis and prepuce. The interior branch of the pudic nerve divides, while in the peri- neum, into three principal twigs. The one ascends upon the outer side of the crus penis, and is lost in the scrotum. A second, called the superficial perineal branch, gives twigs to the scrotum, to the integument of the under part of the penis, and to the prepuce. The third branch, called the bulbo-urelhral nerve, sends twigs to the sphincter ani, transversus perinei, and to the accelerator urince, and then terminates by profusely rami- fying the corpus spongiosum. In the female, these branches of the internal pudic uerve are distributed to the parts analogous