GENERATION. 



pleafure to fee how exaftly the above defcriplion agreed 

 > with the appearances. 



The cxiilence of mufcular fibres in this orj^an lias not, 

 however, been univcrfally acknowledged. " Relpetting the 

 alleged mufcular text\n-e of the uterus,'' fays Bhnnenbach, 

 " I mail obferve that all the human uteri, which I have caie- 

 fully examined both in the pregnant and uninipregnated conr 

 dition (and I have had opportunities of fucli inveftigations, 

 not merely in preparations, but in the moil recent (late after 

 death) have not exhibited any thing that could be taken tor 

 genuine mufcular fibres. The advocates for the mulcula- 

 rity of this organ muil allow that the fibres differ mofl re- 

 markably from all others in the body. I am more and more 

 convinced every day that the uterus pofleffes no true irrita- 

 bility ; but that it poffetres, if any part of the body can be 

 faid to polfefs, a peculiar modilication of vitality (vita pro- 

 pria) correfponding to its peculiar motions and functions, 

 and not referrible to the common laws of irritability. Thefe 

 funftions appeared fo fingular and peculiar to the old phyfi- 

 cians and phllofophers, that they called the uterus an animal 

 contained in an animal." Inflitut. Phyfiolog. p. 422. 



'J'lie mouth of the uterus differs conliderably in the dif- 

 ferent times of utero-geilation. For the grealeft part of 

 the nine months, that is, till the cervix uteri be fully dif- 

 tended, tliere is a projedlion of both the anterior and pof- 

 terior lip of the os tinea; ; and in fome women this continues 

 till the very time of labo\ir. But in moll women, when they 

 are at their full time, or very near it, the os uteri is flat, and 

 makes only a fmall rugous hole, often not i-eadily difco- 

 verable by the touch on the lower or pofterior part of the 

 rounded lower end of tlie uterus. The border of this ori- 

 fice, and tlic internal furface of the uterus, for an inch or 

 more all around, is full of little irregular cavities. Thefe 

 contain a tough gluten, which fhoots acrofs, and plugs up 

 the inner part of the orifice. This -gluten is commonly 

 fqueezed out from all the lacunje, by the dilatation of the 

 OS uteri in the beginning and progrefs of the labour ; and 

 fo lofmg its hold, it falls Out. In the dead body, when 

 the part is kept fome days in water, the gluten fwells out 

 more and more from all thefe cavities, and then feparates 

 entirely. Then the innumerable lacunae, which contained it 

 being empty, are very vifible. And if the gluten be thus 

 carefully taken away, and be floated in water, its external 

 furface is feen beautifully ornamented with all the proceffcs 

 which were drawn out of the innumerable lacuiioe. 



Dr. Hunter gives us tlie following account of the uterus 

 in the earlier months of pregnancy. " In the third and 

 fourth months, the fubftance of the uterus is become more 

 foft than before conception, and all its veffels being propor- 

 tionably enlarged, it appears to be much more vafcular. 

 We may, therefore, reafonably believe, even if we knew no- 

 tliing from diffe Aions of quadrupeds, that the uterus changes 

 its nature in that rcfpeft from the time of conception, and 

 receives a greater quantity of blood. Its thicknefs is only 

 a little increafed in its natural flate, but confiderably when 

 the veins and arteries are artificially diflended with any fluid. 

 At this time the concfption is lodged entirely in the fundus 

 uterij or in that part which in the unimprcgnatcd flate has a 

 fraooth internal furface ; no portion of the conception llretch- 

 ing then down into the cervix uteri, or that part of the ute- 

 rus, which is narrov.- and rugous within. ^ 



■'• The cervix uteri remains contracted and hard in its fub- 

 ilance, and contains a tough and firm jelly, which ce- 

 ments and fills up its cavity fo completely, that upon at- 

 tempting to pu(h a probe through it, the probe will as rea- 

 dily force its way through the hard fubftance of the uterus 

 jtfelf, as through the cementing jelly. When the uterus is 



kept a confiderable time in water, fix or eight days perhap$, 

 this cen.enting jelly fwelLs, grows in- proportion fofter, and 

 at lafl comes away, or falls off in one mafs. Then' the inter- 

 nal furface of the cervix exhibits a mofl beautiful appearance; 

 being variegated with projefting ruga, and innumerable 

 intermediate narrow, but deep cavities, v.hieh lodged fo 

 many procefles of the jelly. In feparating the jelly, when 

 by previous maceration it had been fit for fuch an operation, 

 I have feen thofe proceffcs drawn out of the httle cavities 

 as diftiniSlly as we can fee a hand drawn out of a glove: and 

 wlicn the jelly is carefully feparated and floated in clear wa- 

 ter, it preferves its figure, and exhibits a moft elegant ap- 

 pearance, produced by the proceffes that flioot out from its 

 furface all around. 



" The OS uteri, or very extremity of the uterus, is in fome 

 women narrow or pointed, with a very fmall orifice, that 

 will jufl admit the point of a very fmall finger ; and in fome 

 it is large, foft, or fpongy to the touch, granulated upon 

 its furface, and the orifice fo wide as to admit the end of 

 the finger full half an inch up with great eafe. There the 

 paffage becomes narrow, and is clofed with the gelatinous 

 cement. The os uteri, all around its paffage, is crowded 

 with fmall cavities, containing the fame fort of jelly, wJiich 

 by maceration fwells, pufhes out from the cavities, and 

 comes away, leaving the cells void. This, no doubt, is part 

 of the jelly which naturally comes away in labour. Some 

 women have much more of it than others ; and, in comparing 

 different diffections, I have obfervcd more of the jelly within 

 the cervix uteri, and more likewiie in tlie cells round the os 

 uteri, in one fubjeft than another. 



" The uterus, at the time of three or four months, is by no 

 means fo tightly filled but that it would eafily contain more. 

 It is like a bladder therefore, fo filled with water, that it 

 would eafily contain a third part more. Hence it is foft 

 and fwagging, and eafily changing its fhape, accommodates 

 itfelf to the neighbouring parts. 



" The fituation of the uterus, which at firfl is in the cavity 

 of the pelvis, but afterwards gradually rifes up into the ca- 

 vity of the abdomen, and the changes which its ligaments 

 undergo, may be eafily conceived by any perfon acquainted 

 with the flate of thofe parts before conception, and who has 

 confidered what has been already faid about the fame things 

 in the ninth month of pregnancy. 



" The peculiarities of the ovarium are very different at the 

 different periods of utero-geflation. In the earlier months 

 the corpus luteum is confiderably larger and more vafcular ; 

 and within it there is a confiderable and evident cavity con- 

 taining a fluid. When the uterine veffels have been injetled, 

 I have obferved that the wax very eafily extravafates into 

 that cavity. On the outfide of the ovarium there is a little 

 pit, which looks like a hole, leading into tlie cavity of the 

 ovarium. But in the cafes which i have feen, no briftles 

 would pafs ; it appeared to be an obliterated dutt, or paffage 

 grown together." 



The ferous covering of the uterus, derived from the peri- 

 toneum, undergoes very confiderable extenfion during the 

 enlargement of the uterus in pregnancy. We have already 

 fhevvn that the broad ligaments nearly difappear at this time, 

 but there is no accefhon of tlie fame kind either before or be- 

 hind, as the bladder and re&um flill continue to be covered 

 to the ufual extent by that merabi'ane. The increafed fur- 

 face of the peritoneal coat mufl be afcribed therefore to an 

 extenfion of the membrane. 



As the mucous furface of the organ is the medium of com- 

 munication between the uterus and the fecundines, its changes 

 refer to the purpofes accompliihed by this connexion. In 

 the natural ilate, it exhibits merely the fine orifices of ex. 



halinjT 



