CHAP. XXXVIII.] 



UTERUS. 



555 



Uterus. The uterus is a firm 

 tened more or less anteriorly and 

 posteriorly. On each side, at the 

 upper part, are situated the two 

 angles into which the Fallopian 

 tubes open. The portion above 

 this point is called the fundus, 

 while the lower constricted part 

 of the organ is spoken of as the 

 cervix or neck, and that part 

 situated between the cervix and 

 fundus is denominated the body 

 The highest part of the neck is 

 spoken of as the os internum. 

 The cavity of the uterus is of a 

 triangular shape, about an inch 

 and a half in width at its upper 

 part, where the Fallopian tubes 

 open ; but in the unimpregnated 

 state, its walls almost touch each 

 other, so as to leave a very slight 

 interval, which is usually occu- 

 pied by mucus. The cavity ter- 

 minates in the os uteri, or os tincce, 

 a transverse opening, bounded an- 

 teriorly and posteriorly by two 

 thick and rounded lips. 



The uterus undergoes extraordi- 

 nary alterations in form and size 

 after the impregnation of the 

 ovum, and becomes very vascular 

 and endowed with a highly con- 

 tractile power. 



The walls of the unimpregnated 

 uterus are about half an inch in 

 thickness in their thickest part, 

 and consist of pale organic mus- 

 cular fibres, with a certain quan- 

 tity of fibrous and areolar tissue. 

 The muscular fibres have been 

 said to be arranged in three 

 layers, but the limits of these 



hard body, of a pear shape, fiat- 



Fig. 225. 



is 

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