514 THE CHEMISTRY OF TLMOIiS 



in the condition known as "pseudomyxoma peritoniei," ^'' when the 

 material is in reality the product of cells implanted on the peritoneal 

 surface through the bursting- of an ovarian cyst (or a cyst of the verm- 

 iform appendix (Friinkel) ).^* The phj-sically similar substance found 

 in pathological sj^novial membranes by Hammarsten differs in yield- 

 ing no reducing substance. Parovarian cysts arising from the Wolff- 

 ian bod}' present an entirely different content, which is a clear, wa- 

 tery fluid, with specific gravity- usually under 1.010; the solids amount 

 to but 1 or 2 per cent., and consist chiefly of salts (the ash being often 

 over 80 per cent.), mostly sulphates and chlorides. They are usually 

 (or always) free from pseudomucin, mucin, or other sugar-containing 

 substances, and other proteins occur only in small amounts, unless 

 the cyst is inflamed. Apparently mucoids do not form in cysts lined 

 b}' ciliated epithelium (Pfannenstiel). 



Santi ^^ has studied the physical chemistry of ovarian cysts, and finds 

 the freezing point very near that of blood, having no relation to den- 

 sity, viscosity or nitrogen content; the specific electrical conductivity 

 is higher than that of blood serum. The physicochemical properties 

 are less dependent upon chlorides, and more on other substances 

 (Gnmer)." 



Intraligamentary papillary cysts contain a yellow, yellowish-green, 

 or brownish-green liquid, which contains little or no pseudomucin ; 

 the specific gravity is usually high (1.032-1.036) and the fluid con- 

 tains 9 to 10 per cent, of solids. The principal constituents are the 

 simple proteins of blood serum (Hammarsten). 



According to the same author, the rare iuho-ovarian cysts contain a 

 watery serous fluid with no pseudomucin. 



(e) Dermoid cysts of the ovary contain, as their chief and most 

 characteristic constituent, a yellow fat, which melts at 3-4°-39° and 

 solidifies at 20°-25°. Ludwig and Zeynek *^ have examined over sixty 

 such tumors, and found that the fatty material constantly contains 

 two chief constituents : one, crystallizing out readily, they believed to 

 be cctyl alcohol, 



(CH3— (CIL),, — CILOII) ; 



the other, remaining as an oily fluid, seems to be closely related to 

 cholesterol, although not consisting of one substance alone. Small 

 quantities of arachidic acid (C^nH^oOo), as well as stearic, palmitic, 

 and myristie acid (Ci4H.,sOo), existing as glycerides, are also pres- 

 ent. Ameseder,"*^ however, found evidence that the supposed cetyl al- 

 cohol is reall.y eikosyl alcohol (CooH^oO). Tliese substances are 



37 Litoraturo l)v Potcrs. :\r()iiatsclir. f. Cch. u. C,\u.. ISOO (10), 74!)-. Wobor, 

 St. Pctorsb. inod.' Woeh., 1001 (26), XU. 

 ssMiincli. mod. Woc-li., 1901 (4S), OfJf). 

 3!'l''()]iii dill, cliiniica ot inicrosco])., 1010 (2), 73. 



40 7{i()cli('in. Jour.. 1007 (2). 3S;{. 



41 Zoit. jilivsiol. f'licni.. 1S07 (2.3), 40. 

 *^ Jhid., 1007 (.'")2), 121. 



