28 



CYCLOPIA IN THE HUMAN EMBRYO. 



ended in an abortion at 5 months, and then she gave birth to a child which is now 

 21 months old. The next pregnancy resulted in an abortion at 5 months, and 

 the last one gave the specimen under consideration. 



Her last normal menstrual period began on February 25, 1915. The next 

 period began on March 21 and continued for only one day; and this was followed 

 by the abortion on May 2. There are no other data bearing upon this case except 

 that 15 years ago the woman had an operation for suspension of the uterus. 



Upon careful inspection of the head of the specimen a mechanical injury just 

 below the lower jaw was found, as shown in figure 6. The ear seems to be dis- 

 torted or abnormal, and in place 

 of the nose and eyes there is a 

 depression in front of the face, 

 and running from it is a cleft 

 reaching to the mouth. Appar- 

 ently we have here a fetus com- 

 pressus with cyclopia and hare- 

 lip. 



The head of the embryo 

 was stained in toto in cochineal 

 and embedded in paraffin. K 

 was cut into serial sections 50 /u 

 thick. The sections show that 

 all the tissues are markedly dis- 

 sociated, and in addition the 

 brain is completely macerated. 

 In fact, the brain-cavity appears 

 like a bag filled with debris, 

 which reaches down into the 

 cervical region of the neck and 

 terminates abruptly where the 

 spinal canal is filled with a new 

 formation of fibrous tissue. The 

 primordial skull is composed of 

 cartilages which have under- 

 gone some fibrous changes, and their borders are not sharply defined, but grade 

 over into the surrounding connective tissue. The cartilages at the base of the 

 skull appear to be enlarged and extended; but this point can not be established 

 without making an elaborate reconstruction. In the cervical region the bodies of 

 the vertebrae are displaced backward into the spinal canal, which in turn is largely 

 filled up with the newly formed fibrous tissue as well as with numerous round 

 cells. The tissues of the various ossification centers have undergone a curious 

 change, reminding one of necrosis. It appears as though the ossification centers 

 had died while the surrounding cartilage had continued growing. It is difficult to 

 define precisely the muscles and nerves in all of the various sections, while at 

 points certain muscle groups seem to retain their normal form. 





FIG. 6. Direct drawing of the head of embryo Xo. 1105. X4.5. The 

 tissue of the lower jaw is injured. The depression from the Cyclopean 

 eye extends down into the mouth, forming hare-lii>. 



