294 



ARTHUR WILLIAM MEYER. 



villi 2.35 mm. long. Yet Mall found no trace of an embryo and 

 stated that the villi and the chorionic membrane are structureless 

 in spite of the outwardly normal appearance of the chorionic 

 vesicle. In the absence of the clinical history one must needs 

 be cautious but I think it safely can be assumed that in this 

 case neither embryo nor amnion disappeared solely as a result of 

 postpartum maceration. That this assumption probably is 



FIG. 4. Section through the decidua and the contained conceptus No. 962. 



The capsularis is slightly broken. 



correct is shown also by other specimens, the histories of which 

 fortunately are known. Nevertheless, maceration, although 

 not necessarily putrefactive maceration, undoubtedly was an 

 important factor in the production of the state in which this 

 specimen is found. This conclusion is confirmed by the occur- 

 rence of all manner of transitions between the almost perfectly 

 preserved structure and the pure shadow or gossamer pictures 



