OF THE SEXUAL ORGANS. 69 



the ovarian fringe of the tube. Their surface even, or scarcely 

 botryoidal in women who have never been fecundated, presents, on 

 the contrary, in those who have had children, inequalities, fissures 

 and reliefs in a greater or less degree. Differing as much both in 

 appearance and nature from the salivary glands to which Pean com- 

 pared them, as they do from the seminal glands of the male, the 

 ovaries possess a structure which is peculiar to themselves, as is the 

 case in all the special organs. A sort of parenchyma of a reddish 

 gray color, composed of lamellae and filaments variously interlaced, 

 constitute their principal tissue. Since the time of R. De Graaf, it is 

 admitted that there really do exist in this parenchyma certain 

 transparent vesicles, from twelve to twenty in number, and which 

 are denominated ovules or germs. In it also we occasionally meet 

 with accidental vesicles, true hydatids, which should not be con- 

 founded with the former, but which may possibly be only degene- 

 rated ovules. According to De Graaf, " vessels and preparative 

 nerves enter into these vesicles, on the tunics of which several of 

 their branches, after various divarications, distribute themselves, as 

 occurs in the yolk of the egg while it is still attached to its ovary." 

 A strong, thick, and very tough membrane serves as the shell or 

 envelop of this tissue; and according to my observations, this fibrous 

 membrane is only an appendage of the ligament of the ovary; that 

 is to say, the ligament of the ovary, which is one or two inches in 

 length, and one or two lines thick, is formed by a fascicle, from the 

 transverse layer of the posterior surface of the uterus, and when it 

 reaches the point of the seminal gland, its fibres separate in order to 

 envelop the parenchyma in question. It is evident that the proper 

 tunic of the ovary is altogether distinct from the peritoneal layer, 

 from which, however, it is impossible to separate it. In naming it 

 dartos, it is probable that the ancients did not suppose that, like the 

 dartos of the male, it approaches by its nature very nearly to the 

 contractile or muscular tissue. 



177. Until the time of Fallopius, it was generally taught that the 

 germ was carried from the ovary to the uterus by difierent canals, 

 of which the tube did not constitute any part; the ligament of the 

 ovary was supposed to be the principal one; it formed the deferent 

 canal. Warthon and Mauriceau admitted one or two others, which 

 passed from the edge of the ovarium and opened into the vagina; 

 but it was long ago demonstrated that the ligamentous cord of the 

 ovary is solid, and contains no canal; however, the other passage, 

 also forgotten for a whole age, has just been recalled to the attention 

 of naturalists by M. Gartner of Copenhagen, who looks upon it as 

 an organ that is always to be met with in the large quadrupeds. I 



7* 



