THE FALLOPIAN TUBES. 



775 



spongy bodies of the ovaries and uterus, by the ovarian veins, he produced a 

 distention of the vessels and a sort of erection, the uterus executing a move- 

 ment upward. 



In the muscular walls of the uterus, are large veins, the walls of which 



FIG. 281. Blood- vessels of the uterus and ovaries ; posterior view (Rouget). 



T, T, Fallopian tubes ; O, O, ovaries ; U, uterus ; V, vagina ; P, pubis ; L, anterior round ligament ; 1, 

 2, muscular fibres of the vagina ; 3, 4, ligament of the ovary ; 5, superior round ligament ; 6, ova- 

 . rian artery ; 7, ovarian vein ; 8, uterine artery ; 9, uterine vein ; 10, 11, uterine plexus ; 12, vaginal 

 plexus. 



are closely adherent to the uterine tissue. During gestation these vessels 

 become enlarged, forming the so-called uterine sinuses. 



Lymphatics are not very abundant in the unimpregnated uterus, but they 

 become largely developed during gestation. They exist in a superficial and 

 a deep layer, the deeper vessels being connected with lymph-spaces in the 

 muscular walls and in the mucous membrane. 



The uterine nerves are derived from the inferior hypogastric and the 

 spermatic plexuses, and the third and fourth sacral. In the substance of the 

 uterus they present in their course small collections of ganglionic cells, and 

 it is said that the nerves pass finally to the nucleoli of the muscular fibres 

 (Frankenhaeuser). 



The Fallopian Tubes. The Fallopian tubes, or oviducts, lead from the 

 ovaries to the uterus. They are shown in Fig. 275. These tubes are three 

 to four inches (7'6 to 1O1 centimetres) long, but their length is not always 

 equal upon the two sides. They lie between the folds of the broad ligament, 

 at its upper border. Opening into the uterus upon either side at the cornua, 

 they present a small orifice, about - s of an inch (1 mm.) in diameter. From 

 the cornua they take a somewhat undulatory course outward, gradually in- 

 creasing in size, so that they are rather trumpet-shaped. Near the ovary 



