192 CAVITY OF THE UTERUS. 



The cavity of the uterus, as has been observed before, is 

 triangular in form. When the organ is in its natural position, 

 the upper side of this triangle is transverse with respect to the 

 body, and the other sides pass downwards and inwards. In 

 each of the upper angles are the orifices of the Fallopian tubes, 

 which are of such size as to admit a hog's bristle. 



The two lower lines of the triangle are slightly curved 

 outwards at their upper extremities ; so that the upper angles of 

 the triangle project outwards and the orifices of the Fallopian 

 tubes are nearer to the external surface than they otherwise 

 would be. 



The lower angle of the cavity of the uterus is occupied by 

 the orifice of the canal, which passes through the neck of the 

 organ ; this orifice is from three to four lines in diameter. The 

 canal is about an inch in length, and is rather wider in the 

 middle than at either end. On the anterior and posterior por- 

 tions of its surface are many small ridges which have an arbor- 

 escent arrangement, one large ridge passing internally from the 

 commencement of the canal, from which a number of other 

 ridges go off in a transverse direction. These ridges extend 

 nearly the whole length of the canal. In the grooves, between 

 the ridges, are the orifices of many mucous ducts. 



These folds or ridges all disappear during gestation, and 

 their singular arrangement serves to explain, how the neck 

 is capable, when expanded, of forming a third part of the gene- 

 ral uterine cavity, at the latter period of gestation. 



There are also on the surface a number of transparent bodies 

 of a round form, equal in bulk to a middle-sized grain of sand, 

 the nature and use of which is unknown. They have been 

 called Ovula Nabothi, after a physiologist who published some 

 speculations respecting their use, about the commencement of 

 the last century. 



These are now generally believed to be the mucous follicles 

 of the neck of the uterus in a state of vesicular distenlion, the 

 orifices of which have been obliterated. 



The canal of the neck of the uterus is very different from 

 other ducts, for it seems to be a part of the cavity to which it 



