Page:Sexology.djvu/163



These organs, being the all-important agents in receiving, fructifying, nourishing, quickening, ripening, and bringing forth to life and growth the seed of humanity, demand our special attention. We will give a description sufficiently detailed for the purposes of this book. The womb is a pear-shaped sac, situated in the cavity of the pelvis, between the urinary bladder and the rectum, or terminal portion of the large intestine. It is retained in its position by ligaments. Its upper end is directed forwards; its lower or open end, backwards, to about six inches from the entrance of the vagina.

The womb measures about three inches in length, two in breadth at its upper part, and an inch in thickness; and it weighs from an ounce to an ounce and a half.

The fundus is the upper extremity of the organ, enclosing the main cavity.

The body gradually narrows downward from the fundus to the neck.

The neck, or cervix, is the lower (rounded and constricted) portion of the womb; around its circumference is attached the upper end of the vagina.

At the lower or vaginal extremity of the womb is the mouth, called os uteri and os tincoe, which is bounded by two lips.

The cavity of the womb, when unoccupied by the growing child, is small in comparison with the organ.

Essentially, the womb is a thick, powerful, and elastic