THE PELVIS. 295 



this canal before it becomes obliterated, you must examine female foetuses. The 

 other uterine ligaments are of peritoneal origin, and can and must be demon- 

 strated on your work. 



2. From u>/iat source does the n terns receive its blood / 



Through the uterine branch of the internal iliac artery. It anastomoses 

 above with the ovarian and below with the vaginal arteries. It is surrounded 

 by the uterine plexus of nerves, from the pelvic plexus. (Fig. 204.) 



3. Explai)i the rationale of contraction of adhesions in retroflcxions. 



In the dissection of the peritoneum it was shown that an organ previously 

 invested by peritoneum, may lose its peritoneum, in parte or in toto, by loss of 

 the blood-supply at a given point, by pressure. .(Fig. 170.) The uterus bears the 

 same relation to its investing peritoneum that the colon does to its own. Things 

 equal to the same thing are equal to each other ; the two results are identically 

 the same. The colon, by loss of its specific epithelial element, becomes physio- 

 logically adherent to the parietes, because this adhesion will cause no ulterior 

 hindrance to the function of the colon. The uterus, however, contracts patho- 

 logical adhesions, because the uterus can not, in the position these adhesions 

 entail, discharge its function physiologically. 



4. Does the uterus undergo important structural changes / 



Anatomical structure is always the correlative of function. Not only the 

 uterus, but all its appendages, obey this law of philosophy correlation ot 

 structure and function. In the pre-puberty state, the female genitalia are pro- 

 ducts of growth, not of development ; in the post-puberty state they are the pro- 

 ducts of both growth and development. During menstruation and pregnancy, 

 the uterus and its appendages become relatively changed in size according to 

 function. At the menopause, with cessation of functional activity, these parts 

 become metamorphosed, in a retrograde manner. 



5. Explain the anatomical factors in the production of ovarian, uterine, rectal, 

 and uretliro-vcsical reflexes in short, of pelvic reflexes in general and particular. 



This belongs to physiology, to which chair I refer a detailed answer ; but 

 in order to make you familiar with the anatomical elements involved in reflex 

 phenomena, I know you will pardon just enough physiological digression to 

 keep up an interest in the anatomical regions involved. 



Reflexes are of two general kinds : (i) simple ; (2) complex. The simplicity 

 of the one depends on the positive conductivity of somatic nerves and the sim- 

 plicity of the factors involved. 



The complexity "of the other depends on the negative conductivity of sympa- 

 thetic nerves and the complexity of the factors involved. 



The factors involved are: (i) A nerve-center capable of receiving sensory 

 impressions from sentient areas, and capable of originating motor impulses ; 

 (2) connecting media between the center and the sentient area capable of trans- 

 mitting impressions of both sensation and motion. 



Somatic nerves are those that supply the body-wall ; they are usually called 

 spinal and cranial. Those nerves are called sympathetic that are set aside 

 principally for the regulation and movement of the viscera. They are the visceral 

 branches of the spinal nerves. The former transmit pain and motion violently, 

 rapidly, positively ; the latter slowly, slight in degree, negatively, compared to 

 the same in somatic areas. (See page 264, et scq.} 



Law of Projectiles. In addition to the central and peripheral factors, and 

 their motor and sensory communicating media, we must be mindful of the law of 



