O VARIO TOMY IN THE BITCH. 1 23 



the skin and subcutaneous tissues ; without removing the 

 knife from the wound elevate the handle and with a quick 

 thrust make a stab wound extending through the external 

 and internal oblique muscles and peritoneum at a single cut. 

 The operator can determine when the_ peritoneal cavity has 

 been entered by the disappearance of resistance. Introduce 

 an index finger into the peritoneal cavity, and as soon as 

 this has been entered follow directly along the peritonenm 

 upward and backward toward the angle of the ilium where 

 the uterine cornua lie covered over by the broad ligament. 

 The internal generative organs of the bitch are unique among 

 our domesticated animals. The uterus, U, Plate XIX, is 

 small and physiologically unimportant, the cornua, RUC 

 and LUC, are ample in size and constitute physiologically 

 the uterus. The distance from the cornual extremity, I,UC, 

 to the ovary, O, which is occupied by the Fallopian tube is 

 very brief so that the cornua and ovary are well nigh in 

 contact. The ovary, O, O, is very small, smooth and com- 

 pletely hidden in the pavilion which here constitutes a sac 

 having a very small longitudinal opening of 2 to 5 mm. 

 The most remarkable feature of the apparatus from a surgi- 

 cal standpoint is the great development of the broad ligament 

 which is broader than the distance from the lumbar region 

 to the abdominal floor, while the uterus and uterine cornua 

 are stretched between the vagina, V, and the ovary, O, so 

 that they are suspended in the sub-lumbar region resulting 

 in a double fold of the broad ligament hanging down like a 

 curtain between the parietal peritoneum and the uterus and 

 cornua on either side. The broad ligament of the bitch is 

 consequently suspended at one point from the sub-lumbar 

 region, at the other from the uterus, so that instead of that 

 organ being suspended by the ligament the relation is re- 

 versed and the ligament is suspended from the uterus, or 

 rather uterine cornua. 



In Plate XIX the right broad ligament, BL,', is laid out 



