FEMALE ORGANS OF GENERATION. 493 



28 clays on the average). The fall of the egg, consequently, 

 is periodical ; this phenomenon is accompanied with other 

 accessory phenomena, called molimina menstrualia, which 

 consist of: a congestion of the spinal cord, pain in the 

 lumbar region, phenomena of eccentric sensibility, pains at 

 the surface which should be referred to the spinal cord; 

 finally, the uterine phenomena, menstrual hemorrhage, cata- 

 menialflow. 



The catamenial flow should be carefully examined, as we 

 shall discover a phenomenon which is essentially epithelial. 

 The uterus, a muscular organ to be sure, but whose muscular 

 element displays its important function only during or at the 

 close of gestation, presents a cavity which is lined with a 

 mucous surface ; this lining is really only a vibratile columnar 

 epithelium, almost immediately attached to the muscular 

 element, with scarcely any substratum of connective tissue 

 like the corium in the skin. This epithelium is quite abun- 

 dant, is endowed with a good deal of activity, and forms 

 by its deep vegetations, tubular glands analogous in appear- 

 ance to the glands of Lieberkiihn, and which are imbedded 

 in the muscular walls ; we shall see that at the moment of 

 fecundation this epithelium forms enormous papillary vegeta- 

 tions which give origin to the decidua : in pathology it is 

 frequently the source of a large number of uterine neoplasms. 

 More remarkable, however, than these is the fact that this 

 epithelium is subjected to a sort of monthly moulting, exactly 

 coincident with ovulation ; a similar fact is observed in the 

 heat or rutting of female mammalia. Now as this epithelial 

 lining protects or covers the uterine muscle, which is quite 

 vascular and even erectile, it happens that the epithelial shed- 

 ding exposes a large number of little vascular canals ; which 

 burst under the influence of the general turgescence of the 

 organs at this moment, and occasion, especially in woman, a 

 more or less abundant hemorrhage. Thus though the 

 hemorrhage would seem to be the most important phenom- 

 enon, it is none the less true that the very essence of men- 

 struation is an epithelial moulting, sympathetic with the epi- 

 thelium development in the ovary, and whence results the 

 shedding of the ova or ovulation. 



It is unnecessary to state that at this period of the men- 

 strual hemorrhage the vessels themselves exercise no especial 

 function : at this time there are certain modifications of the 

 vaso-motor innervation that, unless the blood is thrown off 

 from the uterine surface, the hemorrhagic flux will be accom- 



