ANATOMY OF THE FEMALE ORGANS OF GENERATION 77 



Fallopian tubes. The opposite extremity is continuous with the body of 

 the organ. 



Structure. — The wall of the uterus is composed of the following 

 structures arranged in the following order from without inwards: — (l) 

 serous or peritoneal covering, which invests the entire organ with the 

 exception of the cervix or neck. (2) Muscular coat, composed of longi- 

 tudinal and circular fibres. (3) Sub-mucous areolar tissue. (4) Mucous 

 membrane raised into longitudinal folds and containing numerous tubular 

 glands. 



Attachments. — The whole uterus, with the exception of that portion 

 of the neck within the vagina, is covered with peritoneum, which, branch- 

 ing off from the organ in various directions, forms the ligaments by which 

 it is attached to the rectum above, the bladder below, and to the sides 

 of the pelvis and the roof of the belly. 



The recto-vaginal ligament leaves the lower face of the rectum and 

 passes on to the upper surface of the vagina and uterus. The vesico- 

 vaginal ligament leaves the lower surface of the uterus and vagina 

 and passes on to the upper face of the bladder. The broad ligaments 

 are simply the lateral edges of the folds reflected from the sides of the 

 organ and attached at first to the sides of the pelvis, from which they 

 rise to the roof of the abdomen and support the uterine horns. Hence 

 it will be seen that the lateral ligaments form a horizontal partition 

 (fig. 229, e) composed of an upper and a lower layer between which 

 the uterus is placed. The only other ligament of any importance is 

 the round ligament (fig. 231, g). This is a fibro-muscular cord situated 

 between the layers of the broad ligament, and is attached to the con- 

 cavity of the upper part of the horn of the uterus and to the floor of the 

 abdomen in front of the pubic bone. The uterus, therefore, is supported 

 and held in position (l) by the projection of its neck into the vagina, 

 (2) by a peritoneal fold connecting it to the rectum above, (3) to the 

 bladder below, and (4) to the sides of the pelvis. 



Between the layers of the broad ligaments there are several other 

 structures of importance in relation to the generative function, about some 

 of which something must be said. There are (1) the Fallopian tubes, (2) 

 ovarian ligaments, (3) the ovaries and the vessels and nerves distributed 

 thereto and to the uterus. 



The Fallopian tube (fig. 231, b) is contained in the anterior margin of the 

 broad ligament. It extends from the ovary to the extremity of the horn 

 of the uterus. It is 8 or 9 inches long, very tortuous, and through 

 it the eggs are conducted from the ovary or egg-forming gland to the 

 uterus. The uterine extremity of the tube opens into the uterus b> a 



