SEX STUDIES VII. CYSTIC DEGENERATION OF THE OVARIES. 75 



parts of the ovary, but more numerously in the neighiborhood 

 of folHcks and blooid vessel's. A study of free-hand sections 

 stained with Su Ian III, as used; by Scbaeffer'" in her coim- 

 parative studies on the secretory interstitial tissue of the ovary, 

 shows precisely the sa,me general distribution of this tissue in 

 the normal and the cystic ovary. 



The mosit striking thing about the interstitial cells, when they 

 are proiperly difTerentiated by the stain, is the mass of granules 

 of secretion wihich they contain (cf. figs. 6, 7, and 8). Some of 

 the cells are sO' 'loaded with these granules that nothing else can 

 1^ seen. The nucleus is completely covered: From this condi- 

 tion every gradation -may be found to the other extreme when 

 the cell is entirely empty of secretion granules. 



For the precisie definition of these cells we have found noth- 

 ing equal to Kresylechtviolett", following the formalin fixation 

 of MGClendon's fluid. The stain should be differentiated in 

 alcohol, to a point where the nuclei have nearly lost all contrast, 

 and liave practically the same pale blue as- the cytoplas-m, of the 

 connective tissue cells. Then it will be found that the granules 

 of secretion in the interstitial cells are stained sharply and in- 

 tensely ipurple. The contrast, when the staining is properly 

 done, between the ordinary connective tissue and other cells o-f 

 the stroma, and the interstitial cells with their granules of 

 secriction, is extreme. 



Returning to the general consideration of the histology of 

 the cystic ovaries in this case, it may be pointed out that, 

 while, after the pathollogical condition interveined, evidently 

 any follicles which got well sitarted on the road to developiment 

 went on and formed cysts, yet in the body of the ovary are 

 to be found the characteristic remains O'f earlier follicles, just 

 as in a noinmal ovary. One of these old atretic follicles is 

 shown in fig. 5 at x. 



^''Schaeffer, A. Vergleichend histologische Untersuchungen iiber die 

 interstitielle Eierstocksdriise. Arch. f. Gynaek., Bd. XOIV, pp. 491-541, 

 1911. 2 PI. 



"Morse, R. L. Kresylechtviolett. Jour. Appl. Micros., Vol. 4, pp. 1492- 

 1494, 1901. 



