510 GENCHO FUJIMURA 



of a great number of granular bodies which are extremely 

 varied in size. There are granular threads, which are the result 

 of the granules being linked together, more or less curved 

 large rod-shaped bodies of different lengths, and sometimes 

 threads which are very long and often curved like screws, be- 

 sides a large number of material ingredients, which, being 

 mixed up among them, have shapes similar to them and yet are 

 unstained and noticeable only as a shadow. The former, which 

 are susceptible to staining, are dyed deep red by Altmann's 

 method and deep black by iron-alum-haematoxylin. At a glance 

 they look like plastosomes in their shape and staining, and yet 

 in general excel the latter in size considerably. If aggregated, 

 they may be quite easily detected under medium magnifica- 

 tion. Moreover, the staining properties of the ingredients are 

 much stronger than the plastosomes, and they bear a rather 

 close resemblance to lipoids in their density and appearance. 

 The product of this kind do not only possess exactly the same 

 properties in shape and stain as the granular bodies in the cell 

 membrane of large-type decidual cells to which I alluded above, 

 but also indicate that there is often the closest relation between 

 the two; i.e., within the cell membrane of the cells concerned 

 there are, besides the granular bodies above referred to, often 

 short granular threads or large rod-shaped bodies, both of which 

 are similar to the substances in the interstitium described above. 

 One end of the rod-shaped bodies sometimes enters deep into the 

 cell membrane and swells into a club-like shape, while a greater 

 part of the other end juts out into the interstitium, thus giving 

 itself the appearance of passing into the interstitial product. 

 I am not able to explain the original nature and functional 

 significance of this kind of product, and yet, according to the 

 afore-mentioned observations, I have no doubt whatever that in 

 the formation of the product the large cell, and especially its cell 

 membrane, plays an important part and, since such interstitial 

 substances are demonstrated in large quantities in the adjacent 

 blood vessels as are illustrated by figure 71, it may be inferred 

 that they are ultimately absorbed in the vascular organs. The 

 products of this kind are for the first time noticed at about the 



