Uterine

a. (utertnus, Lat.) Belonging to the womb (Ray), Urerine Fury. See NyMPHOMANIA. UTERUS. (vorepa.) Matrix. The womb. A spongy receptacle resembling a compre ed pear, situated in the cavity of the pelvis, above the vagina, and between the urinary bladder and rectum. The form of the uterus resembles that of an oblong pear flattened, with the depre ed sides placed towards the o a pubis and sacrum; but, in the impregnated state, it becomes more oval, according to the degree of its distention. For the, convenience of description, and for some practical purposes, the uterus is distinguished into three parts; the fundus, the body, and the cervix. The upper part is called the fundus, the lower the cervix, the space between them, the extent of which is undefined, the body. The uterus is about three inches in length, about two in breadth at the fundus and one at the cervix. Its thickne is differ. ent at the fundus and cervix, being at the former usually rather le than half an inch, and at the latter somewhat more; and this thickne is preserved throughout pregnancy, chiefly by the enlargement of the veins and ~ lymphatics; there being a smaller change in ch size of the arteries. But there is so vreat a variety in the size and dimensions of the uterus in different women, independent of the states of virginity, marriage, or pregnancy, as to prevent any very accurate mensuration. The cavity of the uterus corresponds with the external form; that of the cervix leads from the 9s uteri, where it is very small, in a straight direction, to the fundus, where it js expanded into a triangular form, with two of the angles opposed to the entrance into the fallopian tubes; and at the place of junction between the cervix and the body of the uterus the cavity is smaller than it is in any other part. There isa swell, or fulne , of all the parts towards the cavity, which is sometimes distinguished by a prominent line running longitudinally through its middle. The villous coat of the vagina is reflected over the os uteri, and is con. tinued into the membrane which lines the. cavity of the uterus, The internal surface of the uterus is corrugated in a beautiful manner, but the rugee, or wrinkles, which are longitudi- nal, le en as they advance into the uterus, the fundus of which is smooth. In the intervals between the rugee are small orifices, like those. in the vagina, which discharge a mucus, sery- ing, besides other purposes, that of closing the Os uteri very. curiously and perfectly during pregnancy. ‘The substance of the uterus, which “is very firm, is composed of arteries, veins, lymphatics, nerves, and muscular fibres, cur i- ously interwoven and connected together by cellular membrane.- The muscular fibres are of a pale colour, and appear also in their tex- ture somewhat different from: muscular fibres in other parts of the body. The arteries of the uterus are the spermatic and“hypogastric. The spermatic. arteries arise from the anterior part of the aorta, a little below the emulgents, and sometimes from the emulgents. They pa over the psoe muscles behind the peritoneum, enter between the two laminz or duplicatures of the peritonzeum, which form the broad lig a- ments of the uterus, and proceed to the uterus, near the fundus of which they insinuate them. selves, giving branches in their pa age to the ovaria and fallopian tubes. The hypogastric arteries are on each side a considerable branch of the internal iliacs. They pa to the sides of the body of the uterus, sending off a number of smaller: branches, which dip into its sub. stance, Some branches also are reflected upwards to the fundus uteri, which anastomose with the spermatic arteries, and others are reflected downwards, supplying the vagina. The veins which reconduct the blood from the uterus are very numerous, and their size in the unimpregnated state is proportioned to that of the arteries; but their enlargement during pregnancy is such, that the orifices of some of them, when divided, will admit even of the end of a small finger. The veins anastomose in the manner of the arteries, which they accompany out of the uterus, and then, having the same names with the arteries, spermatic and hypogastric, the former proceeds to the vena cava on the right side, and on the left to the emulgent vein; and the latter to the intern at lac, From the substance and surfaces of the uterus an infinite number of lymphatics arise, which follow the course of the hypogastric and spermatic blood ve els. The first pa into the gland of the internal iliac plexus, and the Other into the glands which are situated near the origin of the spermatic arteries. Of these Nuck first gave a delineation. The uterus is supplied with neryes from the lower me so colic plexus, and from two small flat circular ganglions, which are situated behind the rectum. These ganglions are joined by a number of small branches from the third and fourth sacral nerves. The ovaria derive their nerves from the renal plexus. By the great number of nerves these parts are rendered very irritable, but it is by those branches which the uterus receives from the intercostal that the intimate consent between it and various other parts is chiefly preserved. The muscular fibres of the uterus have been described in a very different manner by anatomists, some of whom have a erted, that its substance was chiefly muscular, with fibres ruining in transverse, orbicular, or reticulated order, whilst others have contended that there were no muscular fibres whatever in the uterus. In the unimpregnated uterus, when boiled for the purpose of a more perfect examination, ‘the former seems to be a true representation; and when the uterus is distended towards the latter part of pregnancy, these fibres are very thinly scatiered; but they may be discovered in a circular direction at the junction between the body and the cervix of the uterus, and surrounding the entrance of each fallopian tube in a similar order, Yet it.does not seem reasonable to attribute the time of labour to its muscular fibres only, if we are to judge of the power ofa muscle by the number of fibres of which it is composed, unle it is presumed that those of the uterus are stronger than in common muscles, With respect to the glands of the uterus, none are discoverable di¢persed through its substance upon the inner “fi se of the cervix; between _ the rugze there are Jacunz which secrete mucus, and there are small follicles at the edge of the os uteri. These last are only observable in a state of pregnancy, when they are much enlarged. From the angles at the fundus of the uterus two proce es of an irregularly round form originate, called, from the name of the first describer, the fallopian tubes. They are about three inches in length, and, becoming smaller in their progre from the uterus, have an uneven, fringed termination, called the fim - brie. The canal which pa es through these tubes is extremely small at their origin, but it is gradually enlarged, and terminates with a patulous orifice, the diameter of which about one-third of an inch, surrounded by the fimbriz. It is also lined by a very fine vascular membrane, formed into serpentine plice. Through this canal, the communication between the uterus and ovaria is preserved. The fallopian tubes are wrapped in duplicatures of the peritonzeum, which are called the broad ligaments of the uterus; but a portion of their extremities thus folded hangs loose on each side of the pelvis. From each lateral angle of the uterus, a little before and below the fallo-. pian tubes, the round ligaments arise, which’ are composed of arteries, veins, lymphatics, nerves, and a fibrous structure... These are connected together by cellular membrane, and the whole is much enlarged during pregnancy. They receive their outward covering from the peritonzeum, and pa out of the pelvis through the ring of the external oblique muscle to the groin, where the ve els subdivide into small branches, and terminate at the mons veneris and contiguous parts. From the insertion of these ligaments into the groin, the reason appears why that part generally suffers in all the diseases and affections of the uterus, ané why the inguinal glands are in women so often found in a morbid or enlarged state. The duplicpuees of the peritoneum, in which the falopian tubes and ovaria are inyolved, are called the broad ligaments of the uterus. These prevent the entanglement, of the parts, and are conductors of the ve els and nerves, as the mesentery is of those of the intestines. Both the round and broad ligaments alter their position during pregnancy, appearing to rise lower and more forward than in the unimpregnated state. ‘Their use is supposed to be that of preventing the descent of the uterus, and to regulate its direction when it ascends into the cavity of the abdomen; but whether they answer these purposes may be much doubted. The use of the womb is for menstruation, conception, nutrition of the fetus, and parturition. The uterus is liable to many diseases; the principal of which are prolapsus uteri, procident i a uteri, hydatids, dropsy of the uterus, or tympanites uteri, moles, ulceration, . Urzrus (Retroversion of), See Mipwi- FERY. UTICA, a celebrated city of Africa, on the coast of the Mediterranean, on the same bay as Carthage. It became the metropolis of Africa, after the destruction of Carthage in the third Punic war. It is celebrated for the death of Cato, who from thence is called Uticensis. 215