76 Frederick Mott 



a corresponding thickening of basement membranes and overgrowth of 

 interstitial connective tissue. Haematoxyün-eosin stained sections and 

 sections stained by the Del Río Hortega method, showed according to the 

 stage of regressive atrophy l) a deficiency of nuclear chromatin in the 

 spermatogonia and spermatocytes; in some of the cells no chromatin 

 threads are visible; in advanced cases spermatogenic cells are absent and 

 only Sertoli cells are seen lining the tubules. 2) In less advanced cases 



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fig- 2. — Normal spermatozoa from vesícula seminalis from a case of manic de- 

 pressive insanity, also degenerated spermatozoa from vesícula seminalis of a case 

 of dementia praecox. Second stage. Haematoxylin-eosin . iMagnificaiion 6oo. 



spermatogenesis may proceed to the heterotypical mitosis of spermato- 

 genesis in some of the tubules, but no spermatozoa are seen. 3) In the 

 earliest cases of which there were two or three of the twenty seven, nor- 

 mal spermatogenesis appeared to be taking place in many of the tubules 

 and to the naked eye the testes appeared normal. However, the young 

 spermatozoa and spermatids frequently showed early morphological and 

 microchemical changes indicative of death or degeneration. The heads 

 of the spermatozoa did not present a normal lance head shape of uniform 

 size. They are often of variable size, irregular shape and outline, and what 



