94 STUDIES ON PATHOLOGIC OVA. 



division of normals which it should be recalled contains specimens with develop- 

 mental anomalies. Besides being macerated, both these specimens are charac- 

 terized by a peculiar sag or droop of the extremities present on the left side only 

 in No. 1301. This is noticeable first in the arms. These distortions, though 

 slight in these fetuses, are shown in a much more advanced stage in No. 1931 

 (fig. 51), a considerably older fetus which had been retained longer after death. 

 Although this specimen is only 35 mm. long, it unquestionably is anatomically 

 older than No. 1301, which measured 50 mm., a difference largely attributable to 

 the presence of marked maceration. Nos. 1925, 1239, and 1515, shown in figures 

 48, 49, and 50, are merely older and still more macerated and deformed specimens, 

 No. 1515 being in the early stages of dismemberment. 



In order to illustrate the fact that many specimens in this group of the patho- 

 logic division are quite comparable to some of those in grade 3 of the normal 

 division, I have selected a number of roughly corresponding stages and placed 

 the photographs parallel, for the sake of comparison, in figures 53 to 63 inclusive. 

 Anyone familiar with the material here concerned will know that photographs are 

 not adequate evidence for illustrating the classification of a specimen; but even an 

 inspection suggests, and the microscopic examination supports, the statement 

 that there is no sharp dividing-line between some of the specimens in the third 

 grade of the normal division and others in this group of the pathologic division. 

 Specimens found in the pathologic division often are better preserved in every 

 way and wholly without developmental anomalies, while some specimens in the 

 normal division are macerated and have pronounced anomalies. Indeed, this 

 is what one should expect, for whatever the cause or causes of the changes repre- 

 sented by specimens which have been classified in group 7, these changes must 

 have a beginning. However, these beginnings undoubtedly would not be clearly 

 recognizable by the unaided eye or perhaps not even with the aid of the micro- 

 scope. Consequently, the same person may classify one specimen differently from 

 succeeding similar ones, merely because various aspects or characteristics of it 

 impress themselves more upon him at different times. These cases apparently 

 would constitute a border-line group as far as the morphological changes are 

 concerned. 



The lengths of the specimens in this group included among the first 1200 

 accessions range from 1 to 210 mm., and those of all those in the entire collection 

 from 1 to 286 mm. This range is due partly to the fact that the idea of the group 

 developed as the material accumulated. Moreover, a number of different indi- 

 viduals were engaged at widely different times in the classification of the material. 

 For these and for other reasons this group also has been reviewed in accordance 

 with the wishes of Mall. It is interesting that the reclassification has affected 

 almost solely the swollen, macerated specimens and only a few so-called fetus 

 compressi. Hence it is evident that there is practical unanimity of opinion 

 among those concerned as to the gross characteristics of a fetus compressus, even 

 if some of these were placed in the normal division. This unanimity of opinion 

 is explained largely by the fact that the term is applied almost wholly to larger 



