342 OF THE GBNITAL FUNCTfON OF WOMAN. 



any properties common to the similar parts, (30-41) 

 and which appeared to the ancient physicians and 

 philosophers so peculiar, that the uterus was by them 

 denominated an animal within an animal.* (C) 



548. From the angles of the roof or fundus of the 

 uterus arise on each side the Fallopian tubesf — narrow 

 and tortuous canals, running in the upper part of the 

 duplicature of the broad ligaments, similar in texture 

 to the vagina, but internally destitute of ruga;, and lined 

 by a very soft and delicate spongy substance. 



549. The extremity which opens into the abdomen is 

 not only larger than that which opens into the uterus, 

 but is surrounded by laciniated, and, as it were, digi- 

 tated fimbria, singular and elegant in structure, which 

 are probably of great importance in conception, since 

 they appear to become turgid as well as the tubes them- 

 selves, during the venereal oestrum, and to embrace the 

 ovaria over which they lie. 



550. The ovaria, or, as they were termed previously 

 to the time of Stenonis, % the female testes, are com- 

 posed of a tough and almost tendinous covering, and a 

 dense and closely compacted cellular substance, which 

 contains in each ovarium about fifteen ovula, called 

 Graafian, viz. vesicles, or rather drops of albuminous 

 yellow serum, which coagulates like white of eggs, if 

 the recent ovarium is plunged into boiling water. 



551. Such an albuminous drop appears to be what 

 the female contributes in the business of conception, 



* I have spoken of these points at large in my treatise, De M vital* itangvini 

 denetrantia, &c. Gott. 1795. 4to. p. 15 sq. 



t Falloplus, Obwrv.Anat. p. 197. 



X Stenonis was the first who asserted that the testes of women were ana- 

 logous to an ovarium in 1 667. Elemtntor. Myolngue 8ptfi>nm. page 1 17 sqq. 



