22 



THE FEMALE REPEODUCTIVE ORGAXS 



in the serous coat and lead outward, through the lateral ligaments 

 and pelvic connective tissue, to the lower lymphatic nodes of the 

 lumbar region. 



The nerves of the uterus are very numerous. They enter the 

 serous coat from the ganglionic pelvic plexus, and are distributed 

 to the vascular layer of the muscular coat. They there form a 

 rich plexus, from which fibres are distributed to the musculature 

 and to the walls of the blood vessels. 



The distribution of nerves within the mucosa has not yet been 

 thoroughly worked out. According to von Gawronsky * and 

 Kostlin f nerve fibrils penetrate nearly to the surface and form a 

 scanty subepithelial plexus, whence are derived fibrils which ter- 

 minate between the epithelial cells. 



THE MENSTRUATING UTERUS 



The appearance of the phenomena of menstruation is accom- 

 panied by decided alterations in the structure of the uterine 



FIG. 342. FROM A SECTION OF THE HUMAN UTERINE MUCOSA AT THE FIRST DAY OF 



MENSTRUATION. 



e, epithelium ; d, disintegrating layer ; 0, gland ; , blood vessel ; m, muscular coat, 

 x 44. (After Minot.) 



mucosa. In spite of the difficulty of obtaining sufficiently fresh 

 and well preserved material, certain changes which characterize 

 the menstruating uterus are now definitely known. These chiefly 



* Arch. f. Gynakol., 1894. 



f Fortschr. d. Med., 1894. 



