342 ARTHUR WILLIAM MEYER 
state that they could not find an actual increase in the number 
of nuclei present in the stroma of villi containing large numbers 
of these cells. Furthermore, every one except Muggia (and 
also he in his description and illustrations, as also Acconci) has 
noted characteristics, and described the cells in such a way as 
to suggest the presence of degenerative changes. When at all 
distinct they are of various shapes and sizes, and are surrounded 
by a relatively large clear zone. Their occurrence is erratic 
and they contain lipoid granules or vacuoles, and have nuclei 
varying considerably in size, position, and staining reaction, 
as does also the cytoplasm. They are most frequent in degen- 
erate villi and not infrequently lie in detritus. The better pre- 
served the stroma the fewer one finds, and in these observa- 
tions on this rather large series of chorionic vesicles, some of which 
were obtained fresh—one living—in hysterectomly specimens, 
I have only found a few instances of what possibly could be 
regarded as mitotic figures. Since almost all are agreed that 
these cells are of mesenchymal or connective-tissue origin, it 
is easy to see that considerable difficulty must be encountered 
in deciding just when to regard a mesenchyme cell, which is 
the precursor, as a Hofbauer cell. However, since I have not 
made this aspect of the question a particular subject of investi- 
gation, I have no other evidence to offer. 
Since some of these cells, during the early period of degenera- 
tion, after they have become quite circular in outline and the 
nucleus has taken an eccentric position, have.a decidedly granu- 
lar or even a lumped cytoplasm, the confusion with plasma cells, 
or their earlier de:ignation as granular wandering cells, need 
not surprise us. Nevertheless, the term plasma cells is hardly 
applicable, as many of them are not granular. Moreover, no 
one has shown that in fixed preparations these cells take the 
stains specific for plasma cells. Indeed, although he stained 
material with borax methylene-blue after Jadassohn, Happe 
(06) did not find any of the Hofbauer cells impregnated. It 
must be remembered, however, that failure to stain may be 
dependent very largely upon the degree o’, degeneration which 
the particular cells have undergone, for, as already stated, Hof- 
