THE INFLUENCE OF PRODUCTS OF PATHOLOGIC 

 METABOLISM ON THE DEVELOPING TELEOST 



OVUM. 



E. I. WERBER, 

 Department of Biology, Princeton University. 



In his recent work on pathological human ova, after careful 

 sifting of anatomical evidence, Mall^ arrives at the conclusion 

 that the failure of large numbers of ova to develop normally is 

 to be traced to diseases of the uterus. According to his view, 

 which is supported by obstetrical and gynecological data, diseases 

 of the uterus are the primary cause of the faulty implantation of 

 the ovum. This in turn makes proper nutrition of the developing 

 embryo impossible thus leading to various degrees of malforma- 

 tions by arresting development. The deformed embryo is 

 eventually aborted after it has exhausted its inadequate means of 

 subsistence in the uterus. Full-term monsters would be born 

 from such deformed embryos if they were not hindered in their 

 further development by starvation. According to this theory, 

 therefore, an apparently healthy ovum discharged into a diseased 

 uterus fails to develop normally owing to its defective implan- 

 tation. 



Mall studied largely pathological ova of the first two months 

 and the interpretation of the numerous cases described by him 

 seems justified. Practically all pathological ova of the early 

 months studied by him as well as by other investigators, exhibited 

 the condition of faulty implantation, so that it is not unwarranted 

 to regard this condition as the direct cause of monstrous develop- 

 ment. 



A consideration of some instances of arrested, defective or 

 even monstrous development found after full-term birth would 

 suggest, however, that there must be also some other factors 



1 Mall, F. P., "A Study of the Causes Underlying the Origin of Human Mon- 

 sters." Journ. of Morphology, Vol. XIX., 1908; "The Pathology of the Human 

 Ovum" in Keibel-Mall "Handbook of Human Embryology," 1910. 



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