288 PHYSIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY. 



been the subject of a careful chemical investigation. The fluid in 

 the vesicles (of the cow) do not contain, as has been stated, the 

 peculiar bodies, paralbumin or metalbumin, which are found in 

 certain pathological ovarial fluids, but seems to be a serous liquid. 

 The corpora lutea are colored yellow by an amorphous coloring- mat- 

 ter called lutein. Besides this another coloring-matter sometimes 

 occurs which is not soluble in alkali ; it is crystalline, but not iden- 

 tical with bilirubin or haematoidin ; but it may be identified as a 

 lutein by its spectroscopic behavior (PICCOLO and LIEBEK, KtiH^E 

 and EWALD). 



The cysts often occurring in the ovaries are of special patho- 

 logical interest, and these may have essentially different contents, 

 depending upon their variety and origin. 



The serous cysts (HYDROPS FOLLICULORUM GRAAFII), which are 

 formed by a dilation of the Graafian vesicles, contain a serous 

 liquid which has a specific gravity of 1.005-1.022. A specific 

 gravity of 1.020 is less frequent. Generally the specific gravity is 

 lower, 1.005-1.014, with 10-40 p. m. solids. As far as is known, 

 the contents of these cysts do not essentially differ from other serous 

 liquids. 



The proliferous cysts (MYXOID CYSTS, COLLOID CYSTS). The 

 contents of these cysts have variable properties. 



We sometimes find in small cysts a semi-solid, transparent, or 

 somewhat cloudy or opalescent mass which appears like solidified 

 glue or quivering jelly and which has been called colloid because of 

 its physical properties. In other cases the cysts contain a thick, 

 tough mass which can be drawn out into long threads, and as this 

 mass in the different cysts is more or less diluted with serous 

 liquids their contents may have a variable consistency. The color 

 of the contents is also variable. In certain cases they are bluish 

 white, opalescent, and in others yellow, yellowish brown, or yellowish 

 with a shade of green. They are often colored more or less choc- 

 olate-brown or red-brown p due to the decomposed blood-coloring 

 matters. The reaction is alkaline or nearly neutral. The specific 

 gravity, which may vary considerably, is generally 1.015-1.030, but 

 may in few cases be 1.005-1.010 or 1.050-1.055. The amount of 

 solids is variable. In rare cases they amount to only 10-20 p. m. ; 



