BIOLOGICAL DIAGNOSIS OF PREGNANCY 



cytes, and its special organs, the lymphatic glands, 

 and would attempt to decompose some of the dis- 

 harmonious products before they reach the blood. In 

 many cases, however, disharmonious material will get 

 into the blood, and produce all kinds of disturbances. 

 We know of at least two conditions in which dis- 

 harmonious substances undoubtedly circulate in the 

 blood, namely, Bence Jones's albuminuria, and preg- 

 nancy. In the latter case it is certain that we are 

 deal in cj 1 with substances that are in harmony with the 



O 



species, while in the first case there is a possibility 

 that disharmonious substances are present. Bence 

 Jones's albuminuria is nearly always found in con- 



J * 



junction with sarcoma of the bones. Whether the 

 sarcoma is to be regarded as a harmonious tissue or 

 not, we are not yet in a position to decide. 



As to pregnancy, we know, thanks to the important 

 observations of Schmorl, that the cells of the chorionic 

 villi may be torn off, and be carried into the circula- 

 tion. Yeit lias indeed proved that these cases are rela- 

 tively frequent. 11 Weichardt, and later also Richard 

 Freund, tried to connect the appearance of chorionic 

 villi in the circulation with eclampsia. Weichardt was 

 thinking of a dissolution of the cells cytolysis in 

 which case toxic products are supposed to appear. 



11 Cf., on this point, Hans Hinselmann, " Die angebliche, 

 physiologische Schwangerschaftsthrombose von Gefassen der 

 uterinen Plazentarstelle/' Ferdinand Enke, Stuttgart, 1913. 



