GENERATION. 



JivldiaT them into equnl right and left parts. Of the feven jufl above the os tincse, the fundus of which is to- 

 throe margins one is fuperior, and two lateral : they are wards the inferior end of the uterus. Thefe are large, 

 flightly concave, particularly in women, who have had many and receive the terminations of feveral fmaller ones. They 

 children. The fuperior, which makes the bafis of the tri- are filled with a mucous fluid, which can be fqueezed 

 angle, and is continued from one Fallopian tube to the out, and they will often admit of a fine briftle for a certain 

 other, is ufually the fliortell : fomelimes, however, it is the length. They are bed feen in a woman who has juft 

 longcll. Of the throe angles, two are fuperior, and one been delivered, or who has died in the latter periods of 

 inferior. The former may be confiderod as two flender utero-geilalion ; the prominences being flattened, the lacunas 

 appendaires of the cavity, terminating at the Fallopian are more expofed. Thefe organs fccrete the mucous fluid, 

 tubes. The inferior angle prefonts an opening of about with which the cervix uteri is moiflened. 

 four lines in extent, communicating with t!;o cavity of the -^Vg fgg gifg fometimes in this cavity a confidorable 

 cervix. The cavity of the body of t!ie uterus is lined by a number of round or oblong, larger or fmaller folHclc?, 

 mucous membrane, on \vhich the vellels that furnifli the formed of a thin membrane, filled with a clear mucous 

 •raenttrual blaod terminate. fluid, and not pofleiruig any excretory duft. They adhere 

 The cavity of the cervix uteri is a kind of canal, flat- to the trunk or branches of the arborefcent ilrufture 

 toned from before backwards, and more capacious at the already defcribed, and their number is not conftant. Some- 

 middle than at the two extremities ; fo that it has the figure times they are half buried in the fubltance of the uterus , 



of two cones, joined by their bafes. Sucii is the figure 

 which it conilantly exhibits in women who have never 

 "borne children ; but, from the time of conception, that ex- 

 tremity of the canal, which opens into tlie vagina, is dilated ; 

 and after parturition has once taken place, it is always 

 found much wider than before. Jt then reprefents a cone, 



fometimes they are completely ifolatcd, and hold only by 

 a pedicle. Their nature and ufe are not known. Probably 

 they are one fource of the mucous fecretions of the part 

 although we cannot explain how tiie lecreted flu'id is 

 evacuated. 



The thicknefs of the fides of the uterus varies from four 



with the bafis towards the vagina, and the apex towards ^j. j-,^ jj^gg ^^ fifteen ; but it is not uniform in all parts of 



the uteriis. The cavity of the cervix uteri has an anterior - . - - 



and pofterior furface, and a fuperior and inferior orifice. 



A gruMt number of hard, and as it were callous rugoiitics, 



differently difpofed in different fubjefts, may be obferved 



on each of the furfaccs. In order to fee their arrangement 



to advantage, the uterus of a newly-born child, or of one 



not very old, fliould be felefted. They will then be 



obferved in an arborefcent form [arhor Morga^m) on each 



furface. A hard ridge extends along the middle of each 



furface, and ends above in a flattened point, which is often 



continued with the line dividing the ccrrefponding furface 



of the body of the uterus. The inferior end is prolonged 



to the OS tincx. From this kind of trunk lamina? are 



extended laterally on each fide; the fuperior ones forming 



nearly half right angles, and the inferior niore open angles. 

 The number of thefe plates may amount to about 15. They 

 are continued outwards, defcribing a curve, of which the 

 convexity is always towards the uterus, and the concavity 

 towards the vagina. Their margin is grooved, except to- 

 v^'ards the outer end, which is fmooth. The breadth 

 of the laminae diminiflics infenfibly, and they difappear on 

 the fides of the cavity, where the anterior and pofterior ones 

 are confufed v.'ith each other. The fuperior are broader 

 than the inferior. Thefe laniinx are not fimple, they pro- 

 duce other fmaller ones. More or lefs deep grooves fepa- 

 rato the plates from each other : in the bottom of thefe 

 are obferved fmall eminences, like the teeth of a comb, 

 palling from one lamina to another. 



The difpofition of thefe wrinkles is regularly fuch as we 



the organ. It is much tlie fame on the furfaccs and 

 edges. The fundus is generally the thickei^ ; and this is 

 thicker in tlie middle than towards the angles. The 

 neck is rather thinner than the body. The iubftance of 

 the organ is of a greyifli colour, and a firm confillence, 

 efpeciaily towards the neck, which is more compaft than 

 the reft of the organ. It confifts of an external membrane, 

 of a proper tiflue, of an internal membrane, of arteries, 

 veins, lymphatics, and nerves. 



The external membranous covering is contributed by the 

 peritoneum, which is reflefted from the pofterior furface of 

 the bladder over the uterus, of which it covers the anterior 

 furface, the fundus, and the pofterior furface, is continued 

 to the upper half of the pofterior furface of the vagina, 

 and is reflefted from that vifcus to the reftum. It adheres 

 every where to the proper tiffue of the uterus by means of a 

 very fine and clofe cellular texture, without any fat. It is 

 very difhcultly feparable, particularly at the fundus. 



The proper tiflue forms nearly the whole thicknefs of the 

 organ. It is a greyifli, dcnfe, and very compadl fubftancc, 

 very refifting to the fcalpel or fciffars, cutting almioft like 

 cartilage, and containing numerous fmall vefi'els. Thisfub- 

 ftance, which appears cellular, fpongy, and to contain fluids, is 

 manifeftly fibrous : but the order and arrangement of the 

 component fibres cannot abfolutely be detern^ned in the uu- 

 inipregnated ftate, on account of their being fo inextrica- 

 bly interwoven. They are paler and more condenlcd in the 

 cervix than in other fituations, where they are loiter and 

 more red. Although in the empty ftate of the organ thefe 



liave defcribed in newly-born infants ; but, when the cervix fibres have fcarcely any of the charafters of mufcularity. 



utei'i is enlarged in pregnancy, the eminences are flattened, 

 and the whole ftruftiire is confufed ; this is ftill more re- 

 markably the cafe juft after parturition ; the laininx are then 

 nearly deftroyed, and the arborefcent appearance almotl 

 entirely effaced. 



The fuperior opening of the cavity communicates with 

 that of tie body, fo that they form indeed but one. 

 The ip.fericr has been already defcribed under the name 

 of OS tincx. 



In the cervix uteri we may notice the openings of ninne.. 

 rous lacuns or fhort duels ending in cul-de-f (cs, concealed 

 among the rugofities already defcribed. Moft of thefe 

 are fraull; feme aie larger and longer. There arc fix or 



their nature feem.s to be fufficiently pointed out by the con- 

 traftile powers which they exhibit in parturition. 



The external membrane of the uterus is continuous on 

 one fide with the mucous lining of the vagina ; and gives 

 origin, on the other, to two prolongations, which enter 

 into the Fallopian tubes. It is extremely thin, and fo 

 clofely united to the proper tiffue of the organ, that it 

 feems to jforr.i one fubftaiice with it. It is redchfii in the 

 body of the uterus, and whiter in the neck. It is perforat- 

 ed by an infinite number of pores, wliich arc merely the ex- 

 tremities of exhaling veffels, and give ilTue to the menftrual 

 .difcl.arte. 



u^ppc.-.dages of the Uterus. — Under this name are iocluded 

 I thj 



