380 Maximilian Herzog. 



The mass removed was sectioned from above downward, and the 

 ovum, which can best be seen as a whole in photomicrograph 

 (Fig. 24), was fonnd situated with it long axis parallel to a line 

 drawn from one ostium internum tubae to the other. 



A glance at the photomicrograph (Fig. 24) shows the follow- 

 ing points as to the jDosition and surroundings of the ovum in 

 general : The ovum, including its trophoblast and the thin strip 

 of decidua capsularis, protrudes very slightly above the surrounding 

 surface. From the cavity of the uterus it is separated by a very 

 thin decidua capsularis. This in the very center of the upper 

 line of photomicrograph (Fig. 24, section 125) is slightly deficient, 

 and here we see a teat-like process of the chorion mesoderm extend- 

 ing almost to the surface. The inner pole of the ovum rests on 

 a wedge-shaped mass of very large cystic gland spaces densely filled 

 with blood. The decidua vera near the ovum shows densely crowded 

 hypertrophied gland spaces. They are somewhat cystic towards the 

 muscularis, and towards the free surface present enlarged tortuous 

 tubes, separated by intervening septa. The differentiation into a 

 decidua compacta and spongiosa, which is not well shown in Fig. 24, 

 appears more clearly in the photomicrogTaph Fig. 26. 



Large cystic glandular blood-filled spaces are found not only at 

 the base of the ovum, but also towards one side. Such spaces were 

 found also in the first set of sections examined, /. e., in sections 

 which showed neither the trophoblast nor the chorionic cavity. 

 If one studies sections 11 to 39 of the complete series, which like- 

 wise do not yet show any trophoblast, the following can be seen. Xear 

 the surface, under a thin strip of decidual tissue composed of large, 

 partly-degenerated, decidual cells, there is an opening or hole 

 surrounded on all sides by profoundly degenerated decidua. The 

 decidua here is least degenerated at the upper stratum (capsu- 

 laris), and most markedly degenerated at the inner (basal) aspect. 

 The decidual cell masses are infiltrated with maternal blood, and 

 are surrounded by large cystic gland spaces (Fig. 27) filled either 

 with blood, with hyaline, eosin-staining balls or masses, with degen- 

 erated, dropped-off glandular epithelium, or with networks of fibrin. 

 The hole described is not empty, but more or less filled with blood 



