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under the peritoneum, crossing tlie body of the uterus ; and several 

 branches, apparently nervous, proceeding from this band, were 

 distinctly continuous with some of the smaller branches of nerves 

 accompanying the uterine veins. The preparation of the parts was 

 placed in the Museum of St. George's Hospital, on the 1st of Octo- 

 ber, 1838 ; and several anatomists w^ho examined it were of opinion 

 that they were absorbents accompanying the uterine veins, and ten- 

 dinous fibres spread across the posterior surface. 



Dr. Lee availed himself of another opportunity which presented 

 itself, on the 18th of December of the same year, of examining a 

 gravid uterus in the sixth month of pregnancy, which had the 

 spermatic, hypogastric and sacral nerves remaining connected with 

 it ; and during the last ten months, he has been diligently occupied 

 in tracing the nerves of this uterus. He believes that he has ascer- 

 tained that the principal trunks of the hypogastric nerves accompany, 

 not the arteries of the uterus, as all anatomists have represented, 

 but the veins ; that these nerves become greatly enlarged during 

 pregnancy ; and that their branches are actually incorporated, or 

 coalesce with the branches of the four great fasciculated bands on 

 the anterior and posterior surface of the uterus, bearing a striking 

 resemblance to ganglionic plexuses of nerves, and sending nume- 

 rous branches to the muscular coat of the uterus. 



The author gives the following description of the nerves of the 

 gravid uterus in the sixth month, and of these fasciculated bands as 

 displayed in the dissection. 



Behind the uterus, the aortic plexus divides into two portions, to 

 form the right and left hypogastric plexuses. These plexuses, after 

 an intimate union with the nerves accompanj'ing the ureters, descend 

 to the neck of the uterus, upper part of the vagina, and contiguous 

 parts of the bladder and rectum, where they are joined by branches 

 from the third and fourth sacral nerves. The left hypogastric plex- 

 us, about two inches below the aortic plexus, sends off a large 

 branch, which passes on the inside of the ureter to the superior 

 uterine vein, where it is about to terminate in the hypogastric vein. 

 Here the nerve suddenly expands, becomes broad and thin, and 

 passes into a great plexus of nerves, which completely encircles the 

 vein. This plexus, surrounding the uterine vein, is joined below by 

 two large branches, which proceed from the hypogastric plexus 

 nearer the vagina, and lower down, and from which branches pass 

 on the outside of the ureter. From the upper part of this plexus, 

 surrounding the uterine vein near its termination, three large trunks 

 of nerves proceed upwards with the vein to the superior part of the 

 uterus, and enlarge as they ascend. The posterior branch of these 

 hypogastric nerves sends off in its course smaller branches, which 

 accompany the ramifications of the uterine vein on the posterior 

 surface of the uterus. Passing upwards beyond the junction of the 

 spermatic with the uterine vein, and running between the peritoneum 

 and the left posterior fasciculated band, it spreads out into a web of 

 thin broad branches and slender nervous filaments, some of which 

 are inserted into the peritoneum^ and others follow the vein to the 



