SECRETORY FUNCTIONS IN HUMAN PLACENTA 491 



referred to. And, as in ordinary cases, the 'antigen which represents 

 the phenomenon of fixation of complement is either a proteid or 

 some such hke matter, whereas in my case it is a substance which 

 is soluble in alcohol, the latter must be deemed to be qualitatively 

 different from the former. It makes me feel as if it were in order 

 for me to presume that the antigens in my case are due tothehpoid 

 substances which are peculiar to (having some relation with the 

 secretory process of) both the placenta and the decidua. Accord- 

 ingly I have become convinced that, in spite of the various authors 

 whose arguments I have enumerated above as denying the exist- 

 ence of an internal secretory function in both the organs concerned, 

 the fact must be the reverse. Needless to say, however, this 

 argument is only along lines of reasoning, and, therefore, it must 

 be stated that the reason why I have applied at this juncture 

 the modern cytological methods, thus planning out a close 

 histological investigation of the principal tissues and cells, partic- 

 ularly the cell bodies of the placenta and the decidua, w^as because 

 I was anxious to decide more clearly the right or wrong of this 

 hypothesis. I have also, by adopting the same methods, exam- 

 ined the minute structure of the principal cells as indicative of 

 the change w^hich the uterine mucous membrane undergoes prior 

 to menstruation, which, being compared with that during preg- 

 nancy, has enabled me to arrive at a certain conclusion, as will 

 be noted later, respecting the physiological significance of the 

 menstrual changes of the uterine mucous membrane. 



MATERIALS AND METHODS 



The materials for research were taken from a total of forty- 

 three cases, of which twenty-five had to undergo artificial 

 interruption during the first half of pregnancy because of the 

 following diseases: 6 cases of morning-sickness of high degree, 

 12 cases of phthisis, 2 cases of laryngeal tuberculosis, 1 case 

 each of consumption of the bowels, of peritoneal tuberculosis, 

 and of a valvular disease of the heart, 2 cases of glucosuria. 



Of the remaining 18 cases, 14 had to undergo artificial inter- 

 ruption during the second half of pregnancy because of the follow- 



