Fig. 2. Membrana pseudo-textilis intro-uterina sine tubulis.
A pulpy tissue like the preceding,—rather firmer in its texture, but presenting in every other particular the same characters.
This also must have lined the uterus; for it was pulled away from the orifice of it, through which it was found to hang partially during an examination made in consequence of sharp forcing pains being experienced the day after the complete cessation of the menses. The patient, a married lady from Scotland, suffered considerably at every return of the monthly period, and had done so on the present occasion. She had had no children; and was thirty years of age.
Here, there were no tubular prolongations of the lining, but two apertures near to the upper margin of this cloth, with smooth, rounded edges, as if they had corresponded with the uterine orifices of the fallopian tubes. A similar aperture, considerably larger, existed at the inferior margin; or rather, I should say, that the inferior margin of the cloth, perfectly smooth, was drawn round, so as to leave an opening in the centre, which must have been placed over the internal orifice of the womb.
Both this, and the preceding tissue had one of their surfaces more lisse than the other.
B. POLYMENORRHOIC STRATIFICATIONS.
Fig. 3. Coagulum intro-uterinum hæmatosum pseudo-membranaceum incavum.
This sanguineous mass consists of a series of layers of the same species of pseudo-textile membrane described at No. 1 and 2; rather striated, neatly wrapt over one another, and easily separable without laceration, until we come near to the nucleus, where the layers are thinner and adhere more firmly together.
Some of these quasi-membranaceous wrappings are generally entire at one of the extremities of the mass, and open at the other, while two of the innermost are open at both ends, as if their organization had been checked by the supervening of another and external coating. This is properly marked by the artist on the second membrane, reckoning from the outside covering.
The colour of the latter is most brilliant, and has been well and correctly represented by Mr. Perry, from nature. The former, or inner layer, is darker in places, not so gelatinous in appearance, more distinctly striated, and puckered up superficially into slender longitudinal ridges, giving it the semblance (in form though not in colour) to a dry Egyptian date, or a very ripe banana.