TORSIOX OF THE UTKltUS. 313 



abdomen ; and at other times, making a wider rotation, it is lodged in 

 the opposit*! flank. 



There are scarcely any moans in practice by wiiich we can estimate, 

 with mathematical exactness, tlie degree of torsion the uterus has 

 undergone ; as what we have designated a quarter-turn or revolution 

 only signifies that the organ has made a rotation of 90°, while the 

 half-turn is scarcely ISO . Nevertheless, an approximation is all that 

 can be looked for, and, indeed, is all that is necessary. 



As we have already mentioned, Mazure, in 1H42, had a case of com- 

 plete rotation of the uterus on its axis ; this was remedied by causing 

 the organ to turn completely round in the opposite direction. Other 

 writers have spoken of a complete rotation in some cases, but it may be 

 surmised that it was only a half-turn. Double, treble, and even quad- 

 ruple twists have been described ; because there have been found two, 

 three, or more spiral ridges or doubles close together, hard, and resisting. 



Fig. .s.l. 



Incomilktk ToHaiON ok thk Utkuls. 



1, Body of the Uterus; 2, 3, 4, Spiral Twists directed from left to right; 

 5, Cervix Uteri and \'af{ina ; 6, Susin-nsory Liffainent ; 7, Pelvis. 



and usually parallel to each other. But these multiple plies are only 

 what a somewhat long and supple cylinder makes when it is twisted. 



To account for these multiple plic<r, which have erroneously been 

 taken for so many complete turns of the uterus, we have only to accept 

 the illustration offered us by Delafond, who, comparing that organ to a 

 long stocking, puts a weight in the foot of the latter, and gives it a turn 

 in the middle, keeping the open or upper end fixed. Or a small body, 

 to represent the faHus, may be enclosed in the middle of a handker- 

 chief — the utems — so as to make a sac. If the end containing the 

 body be turned or twisted on itself, the neck of the sack will have a 

 first ply, representing one-fourth of a complete twist ; a second ply will 

 represent the half of a complete twist or turn, and will cross the other; 

 so that when a complete turn has been made, it will be found that there 

 are at least four plies or strands. 



