Gravid Uterus.] 
Befides the lymphatic veftels of the uterus, there are 
others belonging to the ovaria and Fallopian tubes, which 
follotv the CQurle of the fperntatic arteries and veins. They 
anaftomofe with the lymphatics of the uterus, and termi¬ 
nate in glands w hich are placed upon the fidesof the lum¬ 
bar vertebrae, near the origin of thefe blood-velTels. Here 
they become mixed with the lymphatics of the lumbar 
plexus, and enter along with them into the low'er end of 
the thoracic duCt. The fpermatic lymphatics enlarge dur¬ 
ing pregnancy in the fame manner as the blood-veflels; 
and for this reafon they are then both mod readily feen 
and injected. The reafon why the blood-velfels, lympha¬ 
tics, and nerves, of the ovaria and Fallopian tubes, have 
their origin in the loins, is the fame with that of the ori¬ 
gin of limilar velfels and nerves in the male. The ovaria 
and Fallopian tubes are not placed in the cavity of the pel¬ 
vis in the early foetal ftate, but upon the pfo:e mufcles, 
fome little way under the kidneys. It is natural, there¬ 
fore, that their velTels and nerves fhould arife near the 
velTels and nerves of thefe organs. 
All the uterine nerves come from the intercoftals, and 
pafs in the form of plexufes with the blood-velfels, as in 
the other abdominal vifcera; To that there is a fpermatic 
and hypogaltric plexus of each tide attending the velTels of 
the fame name. They are principally the branches of tw o 
large cords of the intercoftals, which run down before and 
on each fide of the aorta in the abdomen, much in the fame 
manner as the trunks of the intercoftals run down upon 
the Tides of, and behind, that artery. On the left tide this 
large cord comes down from the femilunar ganglion, part¬ 
ly as a continuation of the anterior cord of the intercoftal 
from that part where it is forming the femilunar ganglion, 
and partly as a plexus of nervous filaments coming down 
more forwards from the ganglion itfelf. This core! paftes 
down before the beginning of the renal artery, all along 
the (ide of the aorta. In its way it receives branches from 
the intercoftal, and gives oft' branches, fo that it has the 
appearance of a plexus, though the principal cord can al¬ 
ways be diftinguiftied. It gives oft' the renal plexus, which 
is fituated upon the iide of the uppermoft vertebra lumbo- 
rum, and paftes to the finuofity of the kidney, behind the 
renal vein; but both before, and behind, and above, and 
below, the renal artery. Oppofite to the third vertebra 
lumborum, the cord gives oft' two large branches, and 
fome fmall filaments of nerves, which run down with and 
before the fpermatic artery. This fpermatic plexus may¬ 
be diftin&ly traced, with the artery, into the ovarium and 
adjacent parts, at the upper part of the broad ligament. 
Immediately below the origin of the fpermatic plexus, op¬ 
pofite to the fame third vertebra lumborum, two large 
branches come from the trunk of the intercoftal nerve, in 
the common direction of thefe communicating branches ; 
viz. forwards, downwards, and inwards, which join the 
great cord, and make it larger from this conjunction down¬ 
wards. On the right fide the cord comes from the femi¬ 
lunar ganglion, dole to the root of the fuperior mcfenteric 
plexus and artery, giving a few branches only to the renal 
plexus, and runs down on the right of the aorta, as the 
cither on the left. And on the right fide the renal plexus, 
which comes chiefly from the femilunar ganglion, as it 
paftes towards the kidney, behind the vena cava and renal 
vein, fends down the fpermatic plexus behind the begin¬ 
ning of the renal, which loon joins and paftes with the i'per- 
xnatic velTels of this fide. 
The two cords, right and left, may be faid to conftitute 
a lumbar plexus all along the aorta, which makes the ba¬ 
lls of the plexufes which accompany the branches of that 
ar tery; or they may be confidered as the anterior cprds of 
the intercoftals in the abdomen. At the upper part of the 
fourth vertebra lumborum, the right cord gives down a 
ccnfiderable branch with the iliac artery, which, branch¬ 
ing, forms a kind of fheath-like plexus' upon the artery in 
its way to the groin. At the bifurcation of the aorta, the 
right and left cord unite upon the fore-part of the aorta, 
and make a plexus from that part directly downwards as 
You, i. No. 4*,. 
649 
far as the lower part of the fifth vertebra lunyborunv, and 
then finally divide into what we may call the right and 
left hypogaftaftric nerve. On the right fide a large branch 
conies from the trunk of the intercoftal, on the fide of the 
fourth vertebra lumborum, which palling downwards, and 
inwards, behind the right iliac artery, joins the- plexus of 
the two united cords before the laft vertebra lumborum. 
, The hypogaftric nerve paftes round the fide of the pel¬ 
vis, between the peritonaeum and the hypogaftric vefi'els, 
and upon the inlide of the ureter. At the middle of the 
fide of the pelvis, where the hypogaftric veftels divide, 
the nerve fplits into a double rangh of branches ; viz. pof- 
terior. and anterior. The pofterior range goes to the iide 
ot the rettum, fome branches palling to the back-part, 
and others to the fore-part, of the gut; and the firft and 
uppermoft of thofe branches are manifeftly reflefled up¬ 
wards upon the gut, directing their courfe towards the 
colon. The anterior range of branches is the largeft, and 
may be confidered as the continuation of the trunk of the 
hypogaftric nerve, in the form of a plexus. Where the hy¬ 
pogaftric veftels are parting to the fide of the uterus and 
vagina, this nerve, fituated behind them, fpreads out in 
branches like the portio dura of the feventh pair, or like 
the (ticks of a fan, with many communications which are 
lent to the whole fide of the uterus and vagina. The up¬ 
permoft branches pafs upwards, in the duplicature of the' 
broad ligament, towards the fundus uteri. The branches, 
as they go to lower parts of the organ, pafs lefs obliquely, 
then horizontally, and the loweft of all run downwards on 
the fide of the vagina. ‘The greateft crowd or number of 
thefe branches go to the os tincae, and the adjacent pares 
of the uterus and vagina. 
The fubllance of the uterus is rendered remarkably foft 
and loofe in its texture by pregnancy ; fo that, when an 
inciiion is made into it, the wound can eaiily be made to 
open wide ; or if a narrow piece of the uterus be cut quite 
out through and through, it is fo loofe and dr.Ctile, that 
it can be readily drawn out to at leaft double its natural 
thicknefs. This laxity appears to depend on two caufes, 
viz. the great quantity of large veftels in its compofition, 
and the loofe connection between the fafciculi of its fibres. 
It would feem probable that utero-geftation enlarges the 
cellular connecting membrane, as well as the veftels of the 
uterus. When we lpeak of the mufcular-fibres, it is diffi¬ 
cult to treat the fubjeCt with preciiion. We neither know" 
their external appearance, nor titeir internal compofition. 
They only manifeft themfelves to our fenfes, when num¬ 
bers of them are collected into bundles, and make what 
we commonly call mufcular fafciculi. In living bodies 
they manifeft themfelves by motion in the part, which we 
fuppofe is produced by a contraction or accurtation of the 
fibres themfelves ; but that change in the nature of a mui- 
cular fibre, which is the caufe of its contraction, is riot 
certainly known. This contraction in fome parts is volun¬ 
tary, in others involuntary, and in fome it is both. In 
Tome parts it is quick, and in others very flow. The mo¬ 
tion which is actually obferved in the uterus of living wo¬ 
men, is involuntary and How. It is commonly believed 
to be mufcular motion, and the fibres peculiar to the fttb- 
ftance of the uterus are believed to be mufcles. In the 
quadruped, the cat particularly, and the rabbit, the muff 
cular aCtion, or the periftaltic motion of the. uterus, is as 
evidently feen as that of the inteftines, when the animal is. 
opened immediately after death, in many parts, particu¬ 
larly of the internal furface of the uterus, thefe fibres haye 
the fame finking fafciculated appearance which we ob- 
ferve in common mufcles ; yet they are of a paler colour, 
and appear to be of a harder texture. When we know 
more of the nature of mufcular fibres, we ftiall perhaps be 
able to account for this variety. Dr. Hunter took conii- 
derable pains to trace the arrangement of the uterine faf¬ 
ciculi ; but, except upon its inner furface, he obferved 
nothing but irregularity and confufton. On the ipner fur¬ 
face itfelf he obferved fome variety, and always, where 
the placenta adheres, a good deal of irregularity. 
S C In 
A N A T O M Y. 
