THE GANGLIA AND NERVES OF THE UTERUS. 
175 
I described the appearances displayed in these dissections, and represented by figures 
the spermatic, hypogastric, and sacral nerves passing into four great plexuses under the 
peritoneum of the body of the uterus. From the form, colour, vascularity, and general 
distribution of these plexuses, and from their branches actually coalescing with those 
of the great sympathetic, I inferred that they were true nervous ganglionic plexuses, 
and formed the nervous system of the uterus. Some anatomists of reputation formed 
a different opinion, and concluded that they were nothing but bands of elastic tissue, 
gelatinous tissue, or cellular membrane connecting the peritoneum with the muscular 
coat of the uterus. All who examined the dissections admitted that the plexuses 
were accompanied with arteries, and were continuous with the spermatic and hypo- 
gastric nerves. None attempted to show in any other part of the body, bands of 
elastic tissue assuming a similar plexiform appearance, accompanied with arteries or 
continuous with nerves. The communication was withdrawn from the Royal Society. 
I continued the investigation of this subject during the whole of 1840 and 1841, 
and discovered the great nervous ganglia at the neck of the uterus, a description of 
which is contained in the last volume of the Philosophical Transactions. But these 
ganglia, which exceed in size the semilunar ganglia of the great sympathetic, con- 
stitute only a small portion of the nervous system of the human uterus. I propose 
now briefly to describe other nervous structures of far greater size, as displayed in 
the dissection of a gravid uterus at the end of the ninth month of pregnancy. 
In this preparation the great sympathetic nerve sends numerous branches from 
both its cords to the trunk of the inferior mesenteric artery, which form a great plexus 
around it. These nerves accompany all the ramifications of the artery, but the 
greater number proceed with the hemorrhoidal artery to the rectum. The two cords 
of the great sympathetic, after giving off these branches to the inferior mesenteric 
artery, pass down before the aorta nearly two inches below its bifurcation, where they 
are united by several fine nervous filaments. But the cords continue distinct, and 
soon separating, each passes down behind the hypogastric blood-vessels to the side 
of the neck of the uterus, and there terminates in the corresponding hypogastric 
or utero- cervical ganglion. The left cord of the great sympathetic, or as it is usually 
called, the hypogastric nerve, enlarges greatly as it approaches the hypogastric gan- 
glion. This ganglion is nearly two inches in breadth, and covers a great part of the 
cervix uteri. It appears to consist of six or seven smaller ganglia, which are united 
together by nervous cords. Each of these ganglia is a thick solid nervous mass, 
of an orange white colour inclined to brown. Arteries which have been injected 
pass through these smaller ganglia and accompany the various nervous filaments 
which proceed from them. Into the whole outer surface of the left hypogastric gan- 
glion, numerous branches from the third sacral nerve enter; and behind there is a 
great connection formed between the ganglion and the branches of the left hemor- 
rhoidal nerve. The vaginal nerves arise from the inferior margin of the ganglion, and 
the vesical from its anterior border. Some of these nerves pass on the outside of the 
