1032 



THE FEMALE ORGANS OF GENERATION. 



ities, which reaches into the muscularis, and may be single or bifid. They consist 

 of a delicate membrane, lined by an epithelium, which becomes ciliated toward 

 the orifices. The changes which take place in the mucous membrane of the im- 

 pregnated uterus are more fully dealt with in the section on Embryology. 



In the cervix the mucous membrane is sharply differentiated from that of the 

 uterine cavity. It is thrown into numerous oblique ridges, which diverge from an 

 anterior and posterior longitudinal raphe', presenting an appearance which has 

 received the name of arbor vitce. In the upper two-thirds of the canal the mucous 

 membrane is provided with numerous deep glandular follicles, which secrete a clear 

 viscid alkaline mucus ; and in addition, extending through the whole length of the 

 canal, are a variable number of little cysts, presumably follicles, which have be- 

 come occluded and distended with retained secretion. They are called the ovula 

 Nabothi. The mucous membrane covering the lower half of the cervical canal 



Branches to tube. 



Branches tojuudus. 



Ovarian artery. 

 Branch to round ligament. 



ROUND LIGAMENT. 



Uterine artery. 

 Arteries of cervix. 



Vaginal arteries. 

 FIG. 573. The arteries of the internal organs of generation of the female, seen from behind. (After Hyrtl.) 



presents numerous papillae. The epithelium of the upper two-thirds is cylindrical 

 and ciliated, but below this it loses its cilia, and gradually changes to squamous 

 epithelium close to the external os. 



Vessels and Nerves. The arteries of the uterus are the uterine, from the internal 

 iliac, and the ovarian, from the aorta. They are remarkable for their tortuous 

 course in the substance of the organ and for their frequent anastomoses. The 

 termination of the ovarian artery meets the termination of the uterine artery, and 

 forms an anastomotic trunk from which branches are given off to supply the uterus, 

 their disposition being, as shown by Sir John Williams, circular. The veins are of 

 large size, and correspond with the arteries. In the impregnated uterus these ves- 

 sels form the uterine sinuses, consisting of the lining membrane of the veins ad- 

 hering to the walls of the canal channelled through the substance of the uterus. 

 They terminate in the uterine plexuses. The lymphatics of the body terminate in 

 the lumbar glands, those of the cervix in the pelvic glands. The nerves are 

 derived from the inferior hypogastric and ovarian plexuses, and from the third and 

 fourth sacral nerves. 



