CYCLIC CHANGES IN UTERUS AND OVARIES. 3 



visible in the lumen of the uterus and of the glands. Leucocytes 

 migrate through the mucosa into the glands. 



Three, four and five hours after copulation, the surface epi- 

 thelium is high cylindrical. Polynuclear leucocytes migrate 

 through the surface epithelium and may injure epithelial cells 

 of the surface epithelium; vacuoles may appear in the surface 

 epithelium. As the result of the injurious effects of the leuco- 

 cytes, the surface epithelial cells may become lower and their 

 nuclei deformed and contracted. There are not any, or only a 

 few mitoses in the surface epithelium. The gland ducts are high 

 cylindrical; they appear with haematoxylin-eosin red-stained, the 

 cytoplasm preponderating. The ducts are short, the gland fundi 

 have lower cuboidal epithelium. In the gland ducts there are 

 some mitoses present; they are missing in the gland fundi where 

 the cells are cuboidal. Polynuclear leucocytes migrate also 

 through gland epithelium into the glands and may occasionally 

 injure the gland epithelium. The connective tissue shows a 

 distinct fibrillar character; its nuclei are rather large; it is some- 

 what edematous; some leucocytes migrate from the vessels 

 through the connective tissue towards the epithelium. There 

 are a few mitoses in endothelial cells of blood vessels and possibly 

 also in connective tissue cells. The uterus shows blunt papillae. 

 The sperm fluid present in the lumen of the uterus exerts a 

 pressure on the surface epithelium and may thus contribute to 

 the harmful influence of the leucocytes. In a specimen eight 

 hours after copulation, the same results were obtained. There 

 were, however, numerous mitoses in the surface epithelium. 



It seems, therefore, as if the number of mitoses in the surface 

 epithelium a few hours after copulation was determined by 

 accidental conditions such as the action of leucocytes and 

 pressure of the fluid, and was, therefore, variable to the same 

 extent as these factors varied. The leucocytes may pass in such 

 quantities through the mucosa into the lumen of the uterus that 

 the fluid in the uterine cavity appears like an abscess and the 

 leucocytes almost destroy the surface epithelium at certain 

 places. Agglutinated spermatozoa are seen in the lumen of the 

 uterus a few hours after copulation, and spermatozoa are also 

 seen in the gland ducts. The polynuclear leucocytes migrate 



