THE GANGLIA AND NERVES OF THE UTERUS. 
177 
siderable size pass to the muscular coat of the uterus. The middle part of the 
ganglion is more than two lines in thickness, but it becomes everywhere thinner 
towards the circumference, and particularly at the inferior border, where it sends off 
many nerves to the back part of the vagina. From its left lower and lateral part, it 
sends off two layers of broad nerves, one of which adheres to the peritoneum, and the 
other closely invests the muscular coat and blood-vessels of the uterus. Between 
these layers there is placed a very thick mass of soft cellular membrane, through 
which innumerable branches of nerves pass between these layers, the hypogastric 
ganglion, and the plexus of nerves with the injected artery extending between the 
hypogastric and spermatic ganglia. Many of the superficial nerves pass down under 
the peritoneum, and terminate in the upper border of the left hypogastric ganglion, 
and upon these superficial nerves there is formed another ganglion of considerable size, 
between which and the hypogastric nerve numerous branches of soft nerves extend. 
This ganglion formed on the nerves under the peritoneum near the edge of the uterus, 
is thick and solid, and consists of a yellowish brown substance, with white nervous 
filaments interlaced, and arteries of considerable size passing through it. From its 
lower border large nerves extend to the upper edge of the hypogastric ganglion, 
and innumerable soft nerves enter the whole inner surface of the hypogastric gan- 
glion, which take their origin from the lower part of the great subperitoneal ganglion. 
The upper part of this ganglion becomes firmly adherent both to the peritoneum and 
muscular coat of the uterus, which it covers as high as the fundus. Large broad 
nervous plexuses, superficial and deep, extend from the upper portion of the subpe- 
ritoneal ganglion across the body of the uterus to the spermatic ganglion, and blood- 
vessels, and the round ligament, around which they form a sheath of nerves. 
In an elaborate drawing by Mr. Joseph Perry, all the ganglia and plexuses on the 
left side of the uterus now described, have been represented with the greatest fidelity. 
As the arteries and veins on the right side of the uterus are only partially injected, 
the nerves extending between the hypogastric and spermatic ganglia have not been so 
minutely traced. But that there is a similar nervous chain connecting these great 
ganglia of the fundus and cervix and the subperitoneal ganglia and plexuses, does not 
admit of doubt, and has been clearly demonstrated by other dissections at an earlier 
period of pregnancy. 
Over the middle of the anterior and lower part of the body of the uterus, there is 
situated a nervous and vascular mass, of great extent, and similar in structure to the 
subperitoneal ganglia described on the posterior surface. It adheres to the perito- 
neum firmly, but on being divided longitudinally, it is also observed to be separated 
from the muscular coat of the uterus by a soft stratum of cellular membrane. From 
the lower part of this anterior subperitoneal ganglion nerves are sent down to the 
cervix uteri and vagina, and numerous branches pass off on both sides to the hypo- 
gastric ganglia. Superficial and deep plexuses of nerves are likewise sent off from 
its superior lateral borders, which proceed across the uterus, sending branches into 
2 A 
MDCCCXLII. 
