270 SPECIAL HISTOLOGY. 



vagina increases towards the inferior portion ; and as regards 

 the external organs, the clitoris is rendered especially suscepti- 

 ble of sensation, by its abundant supply of nerves, as is also the 

 entrance to the vagina, particularly at the orifices of the glands 

 of Bartholini or Duverney. 



The secretions of the female genital organs, except those of 

 the ovarium, are : 1 . a whitish mucus in the uterus and vagina, 

 which, in the former situation, is derived chiefly from the ute- 

 rine glands, and probably differs in some respects from the other; 



2. a transparent viscous mucus in the cervix uteri [vide supra) ; 



3. the clear viscid secretion of the Bartholinian glands, which 

 is poured out in large quantity in copulation ; and upon 

 excitation, as was noticed by Huguier and Scanzoni, it even 

 frequently escapes in jets, which may be ascribed to the mus- 

 cles of the excretory ducts; 4. the secretions of the minute 

 sebaceous and mucous follicles of the external organs. 



Investigation of the female organs. — The Graafian follicles 

 should be examined as fresh as possible, when the membrana 

 granulosa and ova will be seen in their natural relations. 

 In ovisacs that have been longer kept, the former floats about 

 in flocculi in the liquor folliculi, and the "germinal eminence" 

 is also for the most part destroyed. In order to make sure 

 of obtaining the ovulum, the position of which is readily 

 perceived even in the still closed follicle, in certain animals, 

 as in the Bitch, for example, a large carefully extracted follicle 

 is opened under water, and the larger flocculi which escape 

 are examined with a low magnifying power ; it is also readily 

 found when the contents of a follicle are carefully trans- 

 ferred to an object-bearer. In rough sections, or when the 

 structure of the ovaries is teased out, ova are also always 

 readily found, although this is not exactly the mode of seeking 

 for them to be recommended. The muscular elements of the 

 oviducts, uterus, vagina, &c. are investigated by means of 

 careful dissection, as also in fine sections of parts that have 

 been hardened. Kasper especially recommends that the uterus 

 should be boiled for 10 minutes in water, and then placed 

 for 24 hours in the most concentrated solution of carbonate 

 of potass, or that it should be treated with pyroligneous acid, 

 and the sections moistened with dilute acetic acid; whilst 

 Schwartz, according to Reichert, dries the uterus hardened in 



