1874.] On the Mucous Membrane of the Uterus. 297 



April 30, 1874. 



Prof. ANDREW CROMBIE RAMSAY, LL.D., Vice-President, 



in the Chair. 



It was announced from the Chair that the President and Council had 

 appointed Mr. Lockyer's Paper, " Researches in Spectrum- Analysis in 

 connexion with the Spectrum of the Sun, No. III.," read Nov. 27 last, to 

 be the Bakerian Lecture ; and Dr. Ferrier's Paper, on "the Localization 

 of Function in the Brain," read March 5 last, to be the Croonian Lecture 

 for the present year. 



The Presents received were laid on the table, and thanks ordered for 

 them. 



The following Papers were read : 



I. " The Structure of the Mucous Membrane of the Uterus and 

 its Periodical Changes/ 5 By JOHN WILLIAMS, M.D. (Lond.), 

 Assistant Obstetric Physician to University College Hos- 

 pital. Communicated by Dr. SHARPEY. Received March 21 } 

 1874. 



(Abstract.) 



The paper consists of observations made on the uteri of nine women 

 who had died in different stages of the monthly period. 



In two of the uteri the menstrual flow had almost ceased, and the 

 mucous membrane was wanting in the bodies of the organs. The 

 muscular fibre-cells were more or less exposed in the cavity, and the 

 meshes formed by their bundles contained glands and groups of round 

 cells. 



In one uterus menstruation had ceased three days before death, and 

 the muscular fibres were not exposed in the cavity of the organ, but im- 

 posed upon them was a layer of tissue composed of fusiform and round 

 cells. This tissue contained glands. The muscular tissue near the 

 internal orifice was devoid of glands, but nearer the fundus it contained 

 numerous glands. 



In one uterus, in which the catamenial flow had ceased probably about 

 a fortnight before death, the layer of superficial tissue was thicker than 

 in the last ; and near the internal orifice there was a marked and abrupt 

 distinction between it and the subjacent muscular tissue. 



In one uterus the flow had ceased three weeks before death, and the 

 superficial layer was still thicker ; and the distinction between it and the 

 subjacent muscular layer was well marked, except at the fundus. ThS 

 uterine glands were tubular, and arranged in some parts obliquely, in 

 others perpendicularly to the surface. They were lined by columnar 

 ciliated epithelium. 



