THE UTERUS 463 



longitudinal column sending off oblique rugae on each side; 

 hence its name, arbor vitas uterinus. 



The walls of the uterus consist of an outer serous coat (already 

 described), an inner mucous, and an intermediate muscular. 

 The muscular coat forms the bulk of the uterus, and consists 

 of bundles and layers of unstriped fibers which interlace, and 

 of some areolar tissue supporting them, and of bloodvessels, 

 lymphatics, and nerves. Three layers are described an 

 external transverse layer, some of the fibers being continued 

 on to the Fallopian tubes, etc.; a middle layer of intermixed 

 longitudinal, oblique, and transverse fibers; and an internal 

 layer, which is circularly arranged at the cervix, forming the 

 so-called external and internal sphincters. This layer is the 

 muscularis mucosse of the mucous membrane. 



The mucous membrane of the body differs from that of the 

 cervix. The former is smooth, reddish, with columnar cells, 

 and presents the ducts of a number of tubular glands which 

 end by blind, sometimes forked, extremities. In the cervix 

 it is firmer, and presents numerous saccular and tubular glands 

 between the ruga? of the arbor vitre, and below, numerous 

 papillae. The glands are sometimes distended by their secre- 

 tion, the ducts being choked, and present the appearance of 

 vesicles; hence their name, ovules of.Naboth. At the upper 

 part of the cervix the cells are columnar and ciliated; below, 

 stratified. 



The ligaments of the uterus are the round ligaments and 

 several peritoneal folds, namely, two each in front, behind, 

 and laterally. 



The round ligaments are two cord-like bundles of areolar, 

 fibrous, and plain muscular tissue, with vessels and nerves, 

 covered by peritoneum, which run from the upper angle of 

 the uterus to the internal ring. Each then runs through the 

 corresponding inguinal canal to end in the mons veneris and 

 labia. Each measures about 4 or 5 inches in length, and their 

 direction is upward, forward, and outward. The peritoneum 

 which invests them is sometimes prolonged (as in the fetus) 

 for some distance into the inguinal canal, and forms the canal 

 of Nuck. Generally this canal is obliterated. 



The anterior or vesicouterine ligaments stretch between the 

 bladder and the uterus; the posterior, between the uterus 



