486 UTERUS, BY DR. R. CHROBAK. 



Lott found the nucleus, which is usually of very large size 

 (especially in the Dog), and always single, lying without ex- 

 ception in the external portion of the cell, as Henle * and 

 Kolliker f also depict it, whilst Hennig J describes it in Man 

 as lying in a frequently clavate enlargement of the inner 

 extremity of the cell, which Lott never observed. He however 

 here and there found the nucleus so large that one portion 

 of it projected into the internal segment of the cell. When 

 fresh, it appeared coarsely granular, and much more highly 

 refractile than the finely granular dull protoplasm. 



The cuneate cells bear the cilia on their slender internally 

 directed extremities. Lott however is unable to state posi- 

 tively whether they occur indiscriminately on all cells, though 

 he regards this as being highly probable, both on account of 

 the constancy of the form presented by the cells, and on ac- 

 count of the invariable presence of the bud-like projections 

 described above, which he considers to constitute the remains 

 of the cilia. 



In addition to the animals already mentioned the uteri of 

 other Mammals (as of the Cat, Dog, sexually mature Guinea- 

 pig, Horse, and Man) were examined in hardened prepara- 

 tions, and the agreement of the epithelial cells in all the 

 characters mentioned above established. 



The epithelium of the mucous membrane undergoes per- 

 petual replacement ; and it is more than probable that the 

 epithelium is newly formed after each menstruation. 



That uncommonly rapid and uninterrupted changes take 

 place in the epithelial structures of the uterus, is shown by 

 the fact that the relative thickness of the parts composing the 

 mucous membrane varies to an unusual extent according to its 

 stage of development. 



In the normal state the mucous membrane measures from 

 one millimeter to 1*8 millimeter in thickness, but at the men- 

 strual period from four to six millimeters ; the glands which 

 in the normal uterus are separated from one another by a 



* Loc. cit. * Loc. cit., p. 13. 



t Gewebelehre. Kolliker, loc. cit. 



