PLACENTA IN PERAMKLES 157 



cytes. In this position they occasionally displace cytoblast 

 cells. All the leucocytes carry well-defined pigment. Isolated 

 patches of pigment occur occasionally in the plasmodium. 



The coagulable material (proteid, lymph) passing through 

 the epithelium of the uterus is particularly abundant in the 

 placental area. The secretion of the cytol)last cells is visible 

 on their coelomic faces as small rounded swellings which break 

 off to form spherical bodies floating in the coelomic fluid. 



I can find no evidence of fat secretion either in the cytoblast 

 cells or in the gland cells, but it must be remembered that no 

 special means have been employed for the detection of fat, 

 glycogen, or iron. 



The chorionic mesoderm, where it can be made out, is a thin 

 mesothelial layer consisting of flattened cells with ovalish 

 darkly-staining nuclei. I must confess that I find it impossible 

 to discern this layer over most of the placental area. 



The free margin of chorion forms the connecting link between 

 the fixed chorion on the one hand and the vascular omphalo- 

 pleure on the other. The mesoderm here is similar to that of 

 the central portion of the chorion, but the trophoblastic layer 

 consists of somewhat flattened cells near the vascular omphalo- 

 pleure, these increasing greatly in height as they approach the 

 fixed portion. 



Gland Alteration. — A word about the condition of the 

 glands in this stage. The body of the gland is lined by an 

 epithelium which is somewhat lower than in the preceding 

 stage. In its upper portion the gland swells out and becomes 

 somewhat barrel-shaped. The whole of this portion enclosed 

 in the diploplasma suffers a degeneration of its epithelium. 

 The result is that here the gland appears to be a mere space 

 lined only by plasmodiblast. The gland-mouth is closed by 

 a layer consisting of the cytoblast plus a certain amount of 

 plasmodiblast. The latter by no means takes the form of 

 a plug as in the last stage, but passes down on either side 

 apparently causing the disorganization of the gland epithelium 

 on its way. There appears to be a struggle here between the 

 downward force of the growing plasmodiblast and the upward 



