324 NORMAL HISTOLOGY AND ORGANOGRAPHY. 



ine artery and empties into the internal iliac vein ; 

 (2) vessels communicate with the ovarian or pam- 

 piniform plexus which drains through the ovarian 

 veins. 



The lymphatics begin in the interstitial substance 

 of the mucosa, and uniting with lymphatics from 

 the muscularis, emerge to form a rich plexus just 

 beneath the serous covering. This plexus drains 

 along two channels: (i) by lymphatic vessels that 

 accompany the uterine veins; (2) vessels that ac- 

 company the ovarian veins. The blood and lymph 

 drainage is therefore in two directions. That of the 

 fundus is toward the ovary, and that of the body and 

 cervix is in the opposite direction along the uterine 

 vessels. This is of clinical importance in the spread 

 of infections. 



The nerves are non-medullated fibers from the in- 

 ferior hypogastric plexus, and medullated from the 

 third and fourth sacral. The non-medullated sup- 

 ply the muscle while the medullated fibers have been 

 traced to the mucosa, where they form a plexus from 

 which fibers pass to the surface epithelial cells. An- 

 other set arborize about the mucous gland cells. 

 Sympathetic-nerve ganglia are associated with the 

 non-medullated fibers. 



Menstruation. This consists of a hemorrhagic and 

 mucous discharge from the uterus, which recurs 

 about every twenty-eight days in the non-pregnant 

 woman between the ages of thirteen and forty-five. 

 It is accompanied by more or less severe systemic 

 disturbances of a neurotic nature, and also by in- 

 creased activity of the glandular system as a whole. 



