508 GENCHO FUJIMURA 



their structure and shape, it is premature yet to decide posi- 

 tively that there is a tendency for a retrogressive change 

 among all these cells, I will here suggest provisionally that such 

 a phenomenon is a sign of a certain functional period in the 

 cells concerned. Now, at first, in figures 62 and 63 the cell 

 bodies are comparatively dark, and within they contain a large 

 quantity of vacuoles and lipoid granules of various colors ; some 

 of the vacuoles distinctly have a lipoid granule as their nucleus, 

 while others, being placed in rows close to the cell membrane, 

 present a peculiar image. The nuclei are clear and have a 

 somewhat distinct nuclear network. In figure -64 the cell body 

 is filled with numberless vacuoles of nearly the same size, and on 

 one side of the nucleus accumulates a large quantity of proto- 

 plasm, and, besides, there are a few deep yellowish-brown 

 lipoid granules. Figure 65 is of nearly the same type as the 

 former, but the lipoid granules contained are by far greater in 

 quantity than the vacuoles. The nucleus is as clear as the for- 

 mer, with conspicuous nuclear network. Figures 66 and 67 

 illustrate the cells whose bodies are filled with an exceedingly 

 large quantity of vacuoles of various sizes, in consequence of 

 which the protoplasm becomes comparatively scarce and faint 

 and is mostly noticeable only around the nucleus. And, besides, 

 there are some vacuoles which hold dark or deep yellowish-brown 

 lipoid granules; also vacuoles and lipoids, whose size, quantity, 

 and distribution are as varied as will be seen illustrated in the 

 respective figures. The nuclei are generally dark and show 

 extremely delicate network formations. 



Figures 42 to 48 and 51 may be compared, from their sizes and 

 histological point of view, with that class of cells which is termed 

 by many authors as 'decidual cells of small type' (or possibly 

 Ecker's type), while, on the contrary, figures 55 to 61 and 64 

 to 69 may be nothing but the so called 'large-type' or ordi- 

 nary decidual cells (neutral cells). Further, the various cells 

 illustrated by figures 49, 50, 52, 53, 54, 62, and 63, judged 

 from their size and internal structure, should be deemed an in- 

 termediate type which may intervene between the former two, 

 since it is a very difficult task to determine to which one it 



