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The cavity of the uterus is liued by a rather tall columnar 

 epitheliurn, contiuued into the necks of the glands; these are 

 quite simple, aud lined by a rather low, or eveu cubical epithe- 

 lium. The cells of both the uteriue epithelium, and of that of the 

 glands secrete fat which may be seen in the form of minute 

 globules placed both internally and externally to the nucleus of 

 the cell (Fig. 15). The glands also appear to secrete a proteid 

 substance, inasmuch as a eoagulum may often be seen in their lumen. 



Beneath the epithelium is a subepithelial conuective tissue in 

 which are embedded the glands and blood vessels of the uterus. 

 Tb is tissue, which has been spoken of by other authors as the 

 decidua, or the submucosa, is 'embryonic' in character, consisting 

 of numerous irregularly arranged fusiform or stellate cells; in 

 addition there may be seen here and there between the ordinary 

 cells, rounded elements, with homogeneous, dense cytoplasm. 

 There are also found oval cells, the cytoplasm of which is filled 

 with small brown granules of various sizes. These granules give 

 at once the Prussian blue reaction with acid ferrocyanide (one 

 part '/ 2 percent aqueous solution of hydrochloric acid, and one 

 part l J / 2 percent aqueous solution of potassium ferrocyanide); 

 and may therefore be supposed to consist of an albuminate, or 

 of an inorganic compound of iron. These iron-containing cells 

 are found not merely scattered, on all sides, about the subepi- 

 thelial tissue, but also outside the muscularis, and in especially 

 dense masses at the root of the mesometrium. They are found in 

 the virgin uterus, and all through the period of placentation in 

 the inter-placental regions of the uterus; in the placental regions 

 they seem to disappear soon after the fixation of the embryo. 

 I have not yet determined the time of their first appearance 

 in the young female, and am hence unable to offer an opinion 

 as to how far their appearance may be causally connected with 

 any process of the nature of a menstrual change 1 ). The considera- 



1) This supposition is strengt hened by Duval's statement that these brown granules arise 

 in the post partum uterus trom the disintegration of blood-corpuscles in the dilated 

 capillaries of the placental regions. 



