458 MUCOUS MEMBRANE [sECT.205. 



these often present very distinct rings at the openings of the 

 Fallopian tubes. In the fundus, where the uterus possesses the 

 greatest thickness, the middle layer is thickest, and is composed 

 as it were of several laminae, whilst at the cervix, where the organ 

 is thinner, transverse fibres, intermingled with scattered longi- 

 tudinal ones, are chiefly to be met with. Towards the external 

 os uteri, and around this aperture, are situated very well developed 

 circular fibres, immediately beneath the mucous membrane, and 

 these may be designated the sphincter uteri. — With reference to 

 these elements, all these layers consist of short (002'" to 0'03'" in 

 length) fusiform fibre-cells, with oval nuclei arranged longitudinally: 

 these can only be isolated with difficulty, on account of the large 

 quantity of nucleated connective tissue of embryonic characters 

 which passes between them ; even on the employment of nitric 

 acid of 20 per cent., these fibre-cells do not come so distinctly 

 to view as in other places. 



The mucous membrane of the uterus is a white or reddish-white 

 membrane, which is firmly connected with the muscular coat, and 

 cannot be dissected away from it ; upon section, however, it is 

 distinguished from it, although not sharply, by its brighter colour. 

 In its basement layer and its epithelium, this membrane has the 

 same structure everywhere in the uterus ; the former consisting 

 of that connective tissue which is seen throughout the female 

 genital organs, containing undeveloped nuclei and fibre-cells, but 

 no elastic elements ; the epithelium being. throughout a simple layer 

 of the ciliated variety, with pale cells, measuring up to croi"' in 

 diameter, and delicate cilia which produce a current from without 

 inwards. In other respects, however, the mucous membrane of 

 the uterus exhibits a different structure in the body, fundus and 

 cervical canal. At the former place it is thinner and more deli- 

 cate, measuring only from half a line to a line, and has a more 

 reddish colour. Its inner surface is here smooth and without 

 papillae, but occasionally presents some large folds. Here are 

 found very many small glands, the tubular glands of the uterus,, 

 named also the uterine glands (glandules utriculares s. uterina), 

 which possess the greatest resemblance to the glands of Lieberkuhn 

 in the intestine, and are simple or furcated tubes, arranged closely 

 together, of the same length as the thickness of the mucous mem- 

 brane, and 0-02'" to o - o3"' in breadth; they are not unfrequently 

 twisted spirally at their extremities. They consist of a very 

 delicate structureless coat, lined by a regular cylindrical epithe- 

 lium, and they open to the surface of the mucous membrane, either 

 singly or in groups of twos or threes together, with apertures T ^'" 



