PELVIS MINOR 501 



convey ova from the ovaries to the uterus. Each uterine tube 

 is about 10 cm. (four inches) long, and it is contained, in the 

 greater part of its length, in the medial four-fifths of the upper 

 border of the broad ligament. Its medial end pierces the 

 uterus at the junction of the body and fundus. At a short 

 distance from its lateral end it pierces the posterior surface 

 of the broad ligament, curls over the upper pole of the ovary, 

 and opens into the peritoneal cavity by a constricted orifice, 

 the ostiurn abdominale, which is surrounded by a number of 

 fringe -like processes called the fimbria. By one of the 

 fimbrise, the fimbria ovarica, it is attached to the tubal or 

 upper pole of the ovary. Its calibre is by no means uniform. 

 As it is traced from the uterus it is at first very narrow, 

 scarcely admitting a bristle. That portion is called the 

 isthmus tuba uterina. More laterally the tube dilates con- 

 siderably, and becomes convoluted and less closely attached 

 to the peritoneum of the broad ligament. The dilated part 

 is called the ampulla tuba uterina. The ampullary portion 

 of the tube terminates at the ostium abdominale which opens 

 into the cavity of the infundibulum tuba. The walls of the 

 infundibulum are cleft into a number of processes called the 

 fimbria^ therefore the cavity of the infundibulum is very 

 freely continuous with the cavity of the abdomen. The 

 longest of the fimbriae is attached to the ovary and, as 

 already stated, it is called the ovarian fimbria. It is attached 

 along its whole length to the broad ligament. On its surface 

 is a gutter-like groove leading from the constricted mouth of 

 the tube to the ovary. Traced from the uterus, the tube 

 runs first laterally, then, at the side wall of the pelvis, it turns 

 upwards, and finally, having gained the upper pole of the 

 ovary, it bends downwards and covers the posterior free 

 border and the greater part of the medial surface of the 

 ovary (Fig. 229). 



Ovaria. The ovaries are two small, solid bodies, each of 

 which is attached to the posterior surface of the corresponding 

 broad ligament, by a secondary fold of the posterior layer of 

 the ligament called the mesovarium. Each ovary has the 

 form of a slightly compressed ovoid, and is about the size 

 of a pigeon's egg. It presents two flattened surfaces, two 

 extremities or poles, and two borders. 



Its natural or typical position can be studied only in 

 women who have borne no children, for the ovaries become 



