UTERUS (NORMAL ANATOMY). 



635 



inseparable from the peritoneum by anterior and posterior uterine walls ; meeting 



which they are covered. These flat, thin, at length in a central perpendicular raphe, in 



layers are continuous with and extended upon which a few longitudinal bundles may be 



and into the broad and round ligaments, the generally seen. 



Fallopian tubes, and the ligaments of the These tegumental laminae are composed 



ovary, from which they spread out fan-shaped almost entirely of fusiform fibres, with very 



over the fundus and upper portion of the few embryonic corpuscles. They are umtet 



Fig. 437. 



Portion of uterine tissue from the external muscular layers close to the peritoneum. (Ad Nat. x 150.) 



together by a large proportion of strongly 

 (ihrillated connective tissue, which is, how- 

 ever, sufficiently lax to permit a certain 

 amount of artificial separation of the laminae. 

 Within these laminae the fibre-cells are 

 arranged in a manner somewhat different from 

 that which characterises the internal strata. 

 The amount of amorphous connecting matrix 

 is here so small that the fibre-cells lie ap- 

 parently in close apposition, their extremities 

 interdigitating with each other, so as to form 

 an imbricated pattern (fig. 434.). These fibres 

 do not so frequently change their course as 

 the fibres of the innermost strata, but form a 

 more continuous series ; so that sections of 

 this part of the muscular coat are easily ob- 

 tained, exhibiting the appearance of longitu- 

 dinal strata, or bundles of fibre, such as are 

 represented in fig. 437. The course of the 

 individual fibres within them is, however, 

 traced with difficulty, on account of the large 

 quantity of fibrillated connective tissue by 

 which these layers are surrounded and con- 

 joined. 



Immediately beneath the peritoneum all the 

 constituents of the muscular coat are con- 

 densed into a tissue which cannot be easily 

 unravelled. Through this, however, nume- 

 rous fibres may be seen to run in a direction 

 more or less perpendicular to the surface, 

 apparently for the purpose of connecting the 

 peritoneum with the coat beneath. 



The mucous or deciduous coat ; Lining mem- 

 brane of the cavity of the uterus. This forms 



a moderately thick and soft layer which lines 

 the entire cavity of the uterus, and is con- 

 tinuous with the lining membrane of the 

 Fallopian tubes, and of the cervical canal. 

 On account of the large supply of capillary 

 vessels which it receives, the mucous mem- 

 brane is usually distinguished from the rest of 

 the uterine parietes by its brighter red colour. 

 It presents also to the unaided eye, when 

 horizontal sections are examined, an appear- 

 ance of being thrown into minute folds run- 

 ning perpendicular to the uterine cavity (fig. 

 438.). These apparent foldings, however, 

 are shown by a strong lens to consist of a 

 series of ramified canals, which constitute 

 the most remarkable peculiarity of this mem- 

 brane. The proportionate thickness of the 

 mucous membrane relatively to the rest of 

 the uterine walls, though variable in respect 

 of age and other circumstances, is usually 

 about |th of their diameter. Its greatest 

 thickness is found about the middle of the 

 cavity, while towards the internal os uteri, 

 and still more in the region of the fundus, the 

 thickness is slightly diminished. 



To the unaided eye, the mucous membrane 

 lining the body of the uterus, when viewed 

 from the uterine cavity, is apparently smooth, 

 or is seen to be perforated by minute aper- 

 tures, but it rarely presents the appearance 

 of deep folds or plicae such as are always 

 found in the cavity of the cervix. Occasion- 

 ally the surface is roughened and floculent 

 from the exfoliation of its epithelial cover- 



