560 GENCHO FUJIMURA 



also a reservoir for them ; and the kinds of hormones and the pro- 

 portion of their mixture as contents of these organs should 

 have important bearings upon the time of pregnancy and the 

 part of the organs concerned which is taken as material for 

 investigation. And, in the first half of pregnancy, it is possi- 

 ble to show quite a variety of hormones, whereas in a well- 

 ripe placenta it is almost impossible to demonstrate their 

 existence. 



6. It has been believed by several authors that the epithe- 

 lium of villi probably serves as an organ by which nutrition is 

 taken to the embryo; however, histologically it is impossible 

 to find any ground for such argument. 



7. The various cells described above usually increase in size 

 more and more as their secreting functions progress. This 

 fact is most remarkably noticed in the decidual cells. The 

 large-type cell is, after all, nothing but the small-type cell 

 grown up; its growth being gradual along with the progress of 

 its functions and with its largest size it has perfected its develop- 

 ment. Therefore, though at a glance it would seem that these 

 two kinds of cells are entirely different from one another, yet 

 they have the same origin, and originally they are the cells 

 of the same kind. However, the sharp demarcation which 

 exists between the two functionally should deserve our atten- 

 tion; that is to say, the decidual cell performs the conversion of 

 its functions along with the perfection of its growth. 



8. The foregoing conclusions would, at a glance, seem to 

 contradict the work conducted by several authors up to now 

 whose conclusion it was almost entirely to deny the internal 

 secreting functions of the placenta and decidua; but the main 

 reason for this is the fact that the materials employed for 

 investigation by these authors have been for the most part ma- 

 ture organs, for in these there is almost no proof of any secreting 

 phenomena being existent, and they have been therefore taken 

 at most unfavorable times as materials to help us attain our 

 aim. Therefore, in the future, should anyone desire to try 

 his hand in this sort of research, it would be necessary for 

 him by all means to take materials while yet in the early 



