CHAPTER IX. 

 REPRODUCTIVE ORGANS IN THE FEMALE. 



Under this head will be described the ovaries, 

 Fallopian tubes, uterus, vagina, and mammary 

 gland. 



THE OVARIES. 



The ovaries are two dehiscent glandular organs 

 that develop from the mesoderm in close apposition 

 to the mesonephros. Each ovary measures about 

 one and one-half inches in length, three-fourths 

 inch in breadth, and nearly one-half inch in thickness. 

 In early fetal life the ovaries lie close to the kidneys, 

 but later they pass down into the pelvis where they 

 lie in close proximity to the iliac fossa. The exact 

 position varies considerably, but in the majority of 

 cases they will be found placed against the side wall 

 of the pelvis with their long axis parallel to that of the 

 body. Each ovary is held in position by a suspen- 

 sory ligament, which is a peritoneal fold that passes 

 downward from the brim of the pelvis and contains 

 the ovarian vessels and nerves, and also by the ova- 

 rian ligament, which passes to the uterus and is 

 really a reduplication of the broad ligament. The 

 Fallopian tube partly encircles the ovary and also 

 contributes to its support. 



Capsule of the Ovary. The external surface of the 



