FEMALE ORGANS OF GENERATION. 



561 



a narrow fibrous cord (the ligament of the ovary), and, more 

 slightly, to the Fallopian tube by one of the fimbrise, into 

 which the walls of the extremity of the tube expand. 



The ovary is enveloped by a capsule of dense nbro-cellular 

 tissue, which again is surrounded by peritoneum. The internal 

 structure of the organ consists of a peculiar soft fibrous tissue, 

 or stroma, abundantly supplied with bloodvessels, and having 

 imbedded in it, in various stages of development, numerous 

 minute follicles or vesicles, the Graafian vesicles,- or sacculi, 

 containing the ova (Fig. 207). A further account of the 



FIG. 207. 



View of a section of the prepared ovary of the cat (from Schron) 6. 1, outer cover- 

 ing and free border of the ovary ; 1', attached border ; 2, the ovarian stroma, present- 

 ing a fibrous and vascular structure ; 3, granular substance lying external to the 

 fibrous stroma; 4, bloodvessels ; 5, ovigerms in their earliest stages occupying a 

 part of the granular layer near the surface ; 6, ovigerms which have begun to enlarge 

 and to pass more deeply into the ovary; 7, ovigerms round which the Graafian 

 follicle and tunica granulosa are now formed, and which have passed somewhat 

 deeper into the ovary and are surrounded by the fibrous stroma ; 8, more advanced 

 Graafian follicle with the ovum imbedded in the layer of cells constituting the pro- 

 ligerous disk; 9, the most advanced follicle containing the ovum, &c. ; 9', a follicle 

 from which the ovum has accidentally escaped ; 10, corpus luteum. 



Graafian vesicles and of their contained ova will be presently 

 given. 



The Fallopian tubes are about four inches in length, and ex- 

 tend between the ovaries and the upper angles of the uterus. 

 At the point of attachment to the uterus, the Fallopian tube 

 is very narrow ; but in its course to the ovary it increases to 

 about a line and a half in thickness ; at its distal extremity, 

 which is free and floating, it bears a number of fimbrice, one 

 of which, longer than the rest, is attached to the ovary. The 



