358 



HUMAN UTERUS AND FETAL APPENDAGES. 



they also contain a little blood, and sometimes a few decidual cells. There also 

 occur in them hyaloid concretions oval bodies several times larger than any of 

 the decidual cells, and presenting a vacuolated appearance. In uteri over two 

 months pregnant they are probably invariably present. In many places the glan- 

 dular epithelium is perfectly distinct; its cells vary greatly in appearance, neighbors 

 being often, quite dissimilar; nearly all are cuboidal, but some are flattened out; 

 of the former, a number are small with darkly stained nuclei, but the majority 

 of the cells are enlarged, with greatly enlarged, hyaline, very refringent nuclei. 



VI 



D' 







me 



FIG. 238. THE HUMAN DECIDUA SEROTINA AT SEVEN MONTHS. THE SECTION is TAKEN FROM NEAR THE 



MARGIN OF THE PLACENTA. 



Vi, Chorionic villi; the intervillous spaces were filled with maternal blood, which is not represented in the figure. 

 D', Cavernous layer of the decidua. D", Compact layer of the decidua. me Muscularis. 



There are also in many of the gland spaces isolated enlarged cells which have 

 detached themselves from the wall, and in some cases the detached cells nearly 

 fill the gland cavity, very much as in figure 230. 



The decidual cells of the cavernous layer (Fig. 238, D'} are smaller and more 

 crowded than most of those of the compact layer. The largest cells are scattered 

 through the compact layer, but are most numerous toward the surface. They 

 extend around the margin of the placenta and have penetrated the chorion, in 

 the cellular layer of which they are very numerous; the immigration imparts to 

 the chorionic layer in question somewhat the appearance of a decidual membrane. 

 Misled by this peculiarity, some authors have held this layer to be maternal in 



