CHANGES IN NON-PREGNANT UTERUS 



99 



stroma, but apart from this circumstance the mucosa shows no 

 resemblance to that of the prooestrous stage, for the gland, epithelium 

 is either broken down or else new and attenuated instead of being 

 columnar like that of the bitch during " heat." The complete series 

 of changes occurring in the pseudo-pregnant uterus are in a general 



Fia. 18. — Section through uterine mucosa of bitch forty-eight days after 

 the end of prooestrum (retrogressive stage of pseudo-pregnancy). Many 

 of the glands are degenerating ; their lumina contain colloid and the 

 remains of desquamated epithelial cells. Extravasated blood is seen 

 in the stroma. (From Marshall and Hainan.) 



way similar to those occurring in the pregnant condition. In the 

 latter the secretion coming from the glands is a source of nutriment to 

 the foetus (see p. 444). Decidual cells (pp. 453-5-7) are not normally- 

 found in any of the Carnivora. The degenerative changes which 

 occur at the close of pseudo-pregnancy are perhaps comparable to 

 those taking place in the uterus in association with parturition. 

 The entire sequence of uterine changes are correlated with the 

 contemporaneous series of ovarian changes, as pointed out below. 



