No nerves have been traced into the papillw, though Kilian* is of opinion that they are spe cially tactile or sensitive structures, and from various circumstances to be hereafter con sidered, it will appear probable that they are connected with the special nervous attributes of the cervix. I am disposed, however, to regard the sensibilities of the cervix, such as they are, as resident chiefly in the filiform The 271UCOUS crypts or follicles of the cer vix are, for the most part, simple depressions in the mucous membrane, although in cer tain situations they penetrate more deeply, and approach in form the ramified and tortu ous canals of the uterine body. Scarcely any portion of' the cervical canal is free from these follicles, which serve to increase the extent of mucous surface, and apparently to furnish the special secretions of this part. They not only fill all the interspaces between the pri mary and secondary folds, but they are dotted over the ridges and prominences of the cervi cal lining membrane in countless numbers, extending from the internal to near the ex ternal os uteri. They commonly cease at a short distance from the margins of the latter, where a smooth space is often observable in one or both cervical walls. But they may be sometimes perceived at the very border of the lower orifice, and when in such a case one or both lips are slightly everted, as for example in certain hypertrophies of the cervical lining membrane, this follicular portion becomes protruded, while its florid colour, limited by an abrupt margin of the unaltered and paler squanious epithelium here suddenly commencing, an appearance is produced which inay also easily be confounded with an ulcer.
The mucous crypts seldom extend beyond the border of the os, except in the cases just quoted, when, in fact, the relative situation only of the parts is changed. A few, how ever, may be sometimes seen scattered at tole rably regular intervals over the vaginal por tion of the cervix. They sometimes also occur here, as well as withti the cervix, and even in the uterine cavity, in the form of closed vesicles containing an opaline fluid, and per haps may be regarded as in some instances pathological new formations.
The cervical mucous crypts are lined by epithelium and basement membrane. They contain a small quantity, of mucus, together with granule cells. Those upon and near the margins of the os uteri may be sometimes observed to contain short papillw within their margin.
Blood Vessels of the Uterus.
The Arteries are derived from two sources, viz. from the internal iliac and the ovarian or spermatics.
The vessels supplied from the former source are termed the uterine arteries. These are two in number, one for each side. They arise from the anterior division of the internal iliacs, and proceeding downwards and in wards pass between the folds of the broad ligament to the neck of the uterus. Here they take an upward course along the lateral border of the organ, describing several flexuo sities, and giving off, in succession, branches to the upper part of the vagina, the neck, body, and fundus of the uterus ; the latter inoseu lating with the branches derived from the spermatics. Free inosculations also take place
in the substance and upon the surface of the uterus between the branches of the two sides, so that the entire uterus may be injected from either set of vessels.
The branches derived from the spermatic or ovarian arteries also enter between the folds of the broad ligament, and inosculate with the superior divisions of the uterine vessels near the fundus of the organ.
When, after a successful injection, thin slices are cut from the substance of the uterus and dried,and afterwards placed in Canada balsam, the whole appears to be a mass of vessels ; the arrangement of which, however, may be easily observed by a hand lens or a low power of the microscope. Many of the arteries down to -eu"' or -es"' in diameter are still seen to take a remarkable corkscrew course, with numer ous very close spirals, especially in the outer half of the sections. Beyond these the ves sels take a straighter course, and at INgth, in their finer divisions, run in parallel lines, sending off minute twigs at right angles, which cross the ultitnate fibres of the tissue, in the manner peculiar to muscular structure.
When the finer vessels of the body of the uterus have reached the mucous membrane, they dip down between the walls of the canals, termed uterine glands, and spread out in a network of capillaries ; the meshes of which surround the orifices of those canals in the manner delineated in fig. 439. a and b.; and frora these the blood is again collected by the small superficial veins, the course of which is described at p. 637.
The arteries w hich supply the cervix pene trate that part in a direction dom nwards anti inwards, pursuing the same corkscrew course until they have nearly reached the mucous surface, where they break up into finer ves sels and capillaries, which rarnify over the rugm in lines more parallel than those of the uterine body. Both the arteries and capillaries of the cervix are far less numerous than those of the body of the uterus ; and, indeed, the cervix generally in respect of its composition exhibits a lower degree of organisation than that of the principal portion of the organ, although it appears to receive the largest sup ply of nerves.
The reins of the uterus take a course cor responding with that of the arteries, and are distinguished by the same names. They are considerably- longer and more numerous than the latter. They form along the sides of the uterus and within the folds of the broad liga ment a very considerable plexus (the uterine plexus), which, together with the venous chan nels or sinuses ramifying in the uterine sub stance, are more conveniently examined in the gravid organ, where they undergo great en largernent. See figs. 444. 449. and 453., and the descriptions of these.