218 
MR. T. SNOW BECK ON THE NERVES OF THE UTERUS. 
which compose it several times unite and again separate, and at each point of junc- 
tion a distinct swelling or knot is perceived, which contains ganglionic corpuscles 
lying by the side of the interlaced nervous fibres, though in too small a quantity to 
produce the usual red appearance of ganglia. A few branches of communication pass 
between this plexus and the branches accompanying the superior hsemorrhoidal artery. 
The Pelvic Plexus. — The union of the branches from the lower part of the lateral 
hypogastric plexus, with branches from the sacral plexus, constitutes a plexus so pe- 
culiar and distinct that I have ventured to propose the name Pelvic Plexus for it. 
It furnishes branches of supply to the bladder, vagina, and rectum, and corresponds 
with the plexus hypogastricus lateralis, vel plexus uterinus inferior, vel plexus gan- 
gliosus, of Tiedemann. Twelve or thirteen branches are given off from the third sacral 
nerve, five or six from the fourth, and one from the second, which passing to the side 
of the vagina join the short branches which descend from the lateral hypogastric, and 
the branches which descend with the superior hsemorrhoidal artery, and constitute 
a plexus. At the points of union between the branches from the sacral nerves, and 
the branches from the hypogastric, small ganglia generally exist. Several smaller 
secondary ganglia are also formed in the plexus. The ganglia in this situation are 
much smaller than those at the root of the superior hsemorrhoidal artery, and the 
nerves which go to the bladder and vagina contain a much larger amount of tubular 
nervous fibres than those which proceed to the uterus, the rectum, the intestines, &c. 
The Nerves of the Bladder. — From the anterior part of the pelvic plexus, branches 
of considerable size are sent to the bladder, which at first, pass amongst the vessels 
of this part, but do not continue with them in their distribution on the organ. A few 
minute ganglia are found in their course. 
The Nerves of the Vaginal Erectile Tissue. — From the lower part of the pelvic 
plexus ten or twelve branches descend to the erectile tissue, situated at the lower and 
anterior part of the vagina. These nerves are joined by five or six branches, which 
come directly from the third and fourth sacral nerves, and at the junction of the 
branches from these two sources, small yet distinct ganglia, seven or eight in number, 
are formed, from which nerves are sent to the erectile tissue. The branches supplied 
by the sacral nerves course along the posterior border of the pelvic plexus, but do not 
communicate with it. 
The Hcemorrhoidal Nerves. — The rectum is supplied by minute filaments which 
come from the posterior border of the pelvic plexus, and accompany for the most 
part the branches of the hsemorrhoidal artery. They, however, are not the direct 
continuation of those nerves which accompany the superior hsemorrhoidal artery, for 
these end in the posterior border of the pelvic plexus. 
The analogy which exists between the different collections of Ganglia. — From the 
foregoing facts it will appear that a great analogy exists between the collections of 
ganglia at the coeliac axis, at the superior hsemorrhoidal artery, and at the pelvic 
plexus. The same elements exist in each, viz. tubular nervous fibres derived from 
