AND PREGNANCY. 361 



theless it is soft, and its general nature, (especially 

 after death, when, as Arantius long since remarked, 

 it almost appears lamellated if pregnancy was ad- 

 vanced,*) extremely different from the firm and com- 

 pact substance of the unirapregnated uterus. 



577. The remaining important changesf of the gravid 

 uterus, as well as those still more remarkable ones 

 which occur to the ovum and foetus, we shall briefly 

 relate in the order of the ten lunar months according 

 to which pregnancy is at present very conveniently 

 calculated. 



578. As the uterus immediately after impregnation 

 always becomes turgid, (561) so, increasing from that 

 period in bulk and weight, it descends into the upper 

 part of the vagina, still retaining its former figure dur 

 ing the first three months, except, that, perhaps, its 

 fundus becomes a little more convex and its anterior 

 portion somewhat recedes from the posterior, and that 

 its cavity, before extremely small and nearly triangular, 

 becoming expanded by the fluids of the ovum, accom- 

 modates itself to their subglobular form. 



The ovum itself, which about the termination of the 

 first month is of the size of a pigeon's egg and posesses 

 both deciduae separate from each other and the minute 

 amnion separate from the larger chorion, commonly 

 attains, near the end of the third month, the size of a 

 goose's egg; the decidua reflexa then closely ap- 

 proaches to the crassa, and the amnion to the chorion ; 



* Arantius, De Hiimano Feetu libellus, p. 5 sq. 1579. Compare B. S. Al- 

 binus, Tab. Uteri Gravidi. ii. 



f Among others consult J. Burns, Anatomy of the Gravid Uterus. Glasgow. 

 1799. 8vo. a work carefully and faithfully executed. 



