2 66 THE VISCERA. 



the free border of the broad ligament. Its mucosa is thrown 

 into irregular folds, mostly longitudinal, and is lined by ciliated 

 epithelium. From the foregoing description it is seen that the 

 ova must pass through the body cavity in order to reach the 

 ostium tubai. 



The Uterus (/, /). — The uterus consists of a median por- 

 tion or body (z) which is unpaired, and of two horns or cornua 

 (/) which extend from the body to the uterine tubes. The 

 body (/) of the uterus is a tube about four centimeters long 

 which lies in the abdominal cavity, ventrad of the rectum and 

 between it and the bladder. Its caudal end is at the level of 

 the cranial border of the pubis. The cranial end of its cavity 

 is divided by a median dorsoventral partition into lateral halves, 

 while the cavity of its caudal portion is unpaired. The mucosa 

 is thrown up into large longitudinal folds. At its caudal end 

 the uterus projects into the vagina (;;/), so that when the vagina 

 is opened the end of the uterus is seen projecting into it as a 

 prominent papilla. The portion of the uterus thus enclosed by 

 the vagina is the cervix uteri or neck of the uterus. Its free 

 end is directed ventrocaudad, and a prominent ridge is continued 

 from its caudodorsal side along the mid-dorsal wall of the 

 vagina. The uterine cavity communicates with the vaginal 

 cavity by a V-shaped opening, the OS uteri, which looks ven- 

 trocaudad and has its apex directed cranioventrad. Each horn 

 (/) of the uterus passes craniolaterad in a nearly straight course 

 from the body (z) to the uterine tube \/). It narrows rapidly 

 and becomes continuous with the tube. The mucosa is thrown 

 into longitudinal folds. 



Ligaments of the Uterus. — The Broad Ligament. — The 

 uterus is held in place principally by the broad ligaments. 

 These are two folds of the peritoneum, each of which is attached 

 to the whole length of one of the cornua and the adjacent part 

 of the uterine tube and to the corresponding lateral surface of 

 the body of the uterus. Each ligament ends craniad in a con- 

 cave free border. Its attached border forms a curved line 

 which begins laterad of the kidney and extends thence to the 

 lateral ligament of the bladder. From the lateral ligament of 

 the bladder the broad ligament extends caudad into the recto- 



