896 A MANUAL OF ANATOMY 



Nerves. — These are derived from the ovarian and uterine sympa- 

 thetic plexuses. 



Lymphatics. — These pass to the median lumbar glands along 

 with those of the ovary and upper part of the body of the uterus. 



Structure of the Uterus. 



The wall of the uterus consists of three coats — serous, muscular, 

 and mucous — there being no submucous coat. 



The serous coat is formed by the peritoneum, already de- 

 scribed. 



The muscular coat is composed of plain muscular tissue, with 

 an admixture of areolar tissue, and it imparts great thickness to 

 the wall. The muscular tissue is disposed in three strata — outer, 

 middle, and inner. The outer stratum is thin, and its fibres are 

 disposed longitudinally over the front and back of the organ, 

 becoming continuous with one another by turning over the fundus. 

 Those nearest the lateral borders incline outwards, and are pro- 

 longed into the round ligaments, Fallopian tubes, and ligaments of 

 the ovaries. Some from the back of the supravaginal portion of 

 the cervix are prolonged into the sacro-uterine folds. The middle 

 stratum is very thick, and is composed of fibres which interlace in 

 a complex manner over the body, but in the neck they are arranged 

 circularly. The bloodvessels and nerves are freely interspersed 

 throughout this layer. The inner stratum, which is also very thick, 

 has its fibres disposed longitudinally in the cervix. As they ascend 

 over the body they become oblique, and at the superior angles 

 they run circularly. The uterine glands project into this stratum, 

 and it contains a free admixture of areolar tissue. It is right to 

 mention that the inner stratum is regarded as a very much thickened 

 muscularis mucosae, according to which view it would form a part 

 of the mucous coat (Williams). 



The mucous membrane of the cavity of the body is smooth, and 

 soft in consistence, and is covered by ciliated columnar epithelium. 

 It is beset with a number of openings, which are the mouths 

 of the uterine or utricular glands. These are simple tubular 

 glands, which extend in a somewhat convoluted manner through 

 the entire thickness of the mucous coat, and project by their deep 

 blind ends into the inner muscular stratum, there being no sub- 

 mucous coat. Each gland is composed of a basement membrane, 

 which is lined with ciliated columnar epithelium, continuous with 

 that of the cavity of the body. Each has a distinct lumen, 

 except at its deep end, where it is filled with cells. The mucous 

 membrane of the cavity of the cervix is of firmer consistence than 

 that of the cavity of the body, and, as has been stated, it presents 

 the appearance known as the arbor vitae uterina. It is provided 

 with papillae, and is covered by columnar epithelium, except near 

 the OS externum, where the epithelium is of the stratified squamous 

 variety, as it is over the exterior of the vaginal portion of the cervix 



