THE FEMALE GENITAL TRACT. 



845 



structure disappears altogether only in the highest degree of the degenera- 

 tion, where nothing is to be seen "but shining, structureless masses, with 

 high refracting power. The bases of the villosities are either of the same 

 structure as the decidua, or they show a slightly fibrous basis-substance 

 interspersed with plastids. No blood-vessels can be traced in this part. In 

 some villosities irregular openings are observable, evidently the remains of 

 capillary blood-vessels, which, in the degenerative condition, serve only for 

 the passage of plasma, and not for the circulation of the blood-corpuscles. 



The question arose : What was the nature of this degeneration ? 



In order to settle this inquiry, a number of reagents were employed. An 

 (iinntoniacal solution of carmine changed the homogeneous masses in the basis- 

 substance only in specimens where the degeneration had not reached a high 



FIG. 379. WAXY DEGENERATION OF THE PLACENTA. 



T, (lecidual tissue in a high degree of waxy metamorphosis ; V, basis of a villus with 

 clefts, probably the remains of vessels ; F, basis of a villns with fibrous basis-substance ; S, 

 basis of a villus in a high degree of waxy metamorphosis. Magnified 1200 diameters. 



degree, and which had not been kept any length of time in chromic acid 

 solution ; in the latter the homogeneous masses took on a yellow, almost a 

 green color, and were unaffected by the carmine. Carmine is, therefore, an 

 excellent reagent for bringing into view the homogeneous fields, as the car- 

 mine readily stains the normal portions of the tissue. The shining granules 

 in the decidual elements also remain unchanged. The carmine-stained speci- 

 mens were left in absolute alcohol for a short time twenty-four hours ; 

 they were then dipped in oil of cloves, returned to the alcohol for a short 

 time, and finally placed in water for mounting in glycerine. In these sped- 



