CHAPTER XII 



THE INNERVATION OF THE FEMALE GENERATIVE 

 ORGANS— UTERINE CONTRACTION— PARTURITION— THE 

 PUERPERAL STATE 



" Birth is the end of that time when we really knew our business, and the 

 beginning of the days wherein we know not what we would do, or do." — 

 Samubl Butlbe. 



The innervation of the generative organs of the male was dealt 

 with at some length in an earlier part of this work. It remains 

 in the present chapter to describe the nerve supply to the female 

 generative system, and more particularly to the uterus, since this 

 is the organ which is especially concerned in the process of 

 parturition. But before giving an account of the innervation 

 of the internal organs, the nerve supply to the vulva and clitoris 

 may be briefly dealt with. 



The Innervation of the External Generative Organs 



The external generative organs in the female are similarly 

 innervated to those of the male (p. 254 et seq.). 



Langley and Anderson ''- found that stimulation of the first 

 five lumbar nerves in the cat, or the third, fourth, and fifth 

 lumbar nerves in the rabbit, produced the same effects as in 

 the male excepting that they were less pronounced. The efiects 

 were (1) Pallor of the chtoris and of the mucous membrane of 

 the vulva, accompanied by shght retraction of the chtoris, 

 (2) Contraction of the vulva, and (3) Contraction of the muscles 

 of the adjoining skin, drawing the vulva dorsally towards the 

 rectum. 



Langley,^ and subsequently Langley and Anderson,^ found 



' Langley and Anderson, ' ' The Innervation of the Pelvic and Adjoining 

 Viscera," Jour. ofPhys., vol. xix,, 1895. 



' Langley, "The Innervation of the Pelvic Viscera," Proc. Phys. Soc, 

 Jour, of Phys., vol. xii., 1891. 



' Langley and Anderson, loc. cit. 



