62 THE TROPHOBLAST AND ITS SURROUNDING BLOOD SPACES. 



that next the trophoblast grows, by means of syncytial cells, 

 which it sends out into the surrounding tissue, corrodes the next 

 capillary and thus brings one capillary after the other in com- 

 munication with the blood lacunae. Since the great vascularity, 

 however, in the neighborhood of my ovum possibly is abnormal, 

 I am willing to admit that most probably Peters' histologic find- 

 ings are more correct and therefore his deductions more reliable. 

 It must be added, however, that this difference in the findings is 

 of little importance, since I could show exactly like Peters a 

 point of much greater importance that a communication exists 

 between the blood spaces within the trophoblastic arches and 

 those lying farther away. We established in this way the fact, 

 that at this early time intervillous blood spaces exist in a rudi- 

 mentary and fully developed state. 



Mention must be made of a rather important finding by Peters 

 on an ovum 3x5 mm. large (i. e., much larger than my ovum), 

 obtained from a woman who died of phosphorus poisoning. 

 "With due regard to the fact that this was a case of phosphorus 

 poisoning he states that in this ovum in which the trophoblast 

 layer was already reduced to the double layered chorion epithelium 

 (Langhans' cells plus syncytium) and which with its villi was 

 embedded in a lake of blood, the intervillous space by means of 

 a continuous layer of fibrin which completely surrounded the 

 ovum, was separated from the compacta, pathologically changed 

 by a suffusion of blood. Whether this fibrin layer by compari- 

 son with undoubtedly normal specimens can be regarded as the 

 primary stage of the fibrin layer of Nitabuch is a question which 

 cannot be answered." 



I must mention that also, in my ovum, in some sections, espe- 

 cially near the border of the greatly dilated and open blood spaces 

 which surround the ovum like a shell, such strips of fibrin are 

 visible. I should like to refrain, however, from positively defin- 

 ing their significance. 



The following points which have been clearly established by 

 the descriptions given above must be emphasized : The formation 

 of the blood lucanae in the trophoblast does not stand in any di- 

 rect relation to the destruction and dissolution of the glands, a 

 point which also has been made by Peters, (pgs. 75 & 76). 

 Nowhere is syncytium formed from glandular epithelium. 



I cannot agree with Pfannenstiel, who, also in all essential 

 points in accord with Peters, holds different views in certain 

 questions, e. g., concerning the mucosa surrounding the ovum. 

 His observations are made on a comparatively too old an ovum, 

 being almost two weeks old. He asserts (pg. 242) that in his 



