362 MR T. ARTHUR HELME ON HISTOLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS ON 



after birth, with small exudations from which, later, result the adhesions of the uterus 

 to the neighbouring organs."* 



Kolliker, in his Mikros. Anatomie (1854), states that his observations on the human 

 uterus agree with Kilian's observations on the Mammalia during pregnancy, but differ 

 on the post-partum changes. Kolliker here states that he finds fatty metamorphosis, 

 but that there is not a total destruction of the uterus ; on the contrary, the great majority 

 of fibres are not destroyed, but last through more than one pregnancy."t 



Robin holds that there is no destruction of fibres, merely diminution, and return to 

 their original state ; he further denies the fatty metamorphosis, and describes the process 

 as a simple atrophy .J 



Luschka, in his Anatomie, speaks of the muscle cells being " restored to their original 

 size." This involution process being accompanied by an appearance of fat in the cells. 

 He gives no ground for his opinion, merely states it without giving any description of 

 material examined on which he bases this statement, which differs from all preceding. § 



After this there seems to have been a lull in the observations on this subject, for it 

 is not till 1885 that one finds another paper. Meola advances a new theory, 

 comparing the process to a cirrhosis ; rapid growth of connective tissue in the early 

 days of the puerperium compressing the muscle cells, which diminish by a process of 

 granular atrophy. I have been unable to see Meola's original article, of which an 

 abstract appeared in the Cent. f. Gyn.\\ 



Lately, since I began to work at the subject, two papers have appeared, one in Germany 

 and one in France. The former by Sanger of Leipsic, who describes the development 

 of fat within the muscle cells (" No fat debris is found outside the muscle cells "), but 

 there is no destruction of fibres, merely a return to normal. IT The last paper is by Mayor, 

 in December 1887, who gives a full account of the specimens examined, with the cause 

 of death of the patient. He describes the appearance of very fine fat granules — so fine 

 are they in the sketches he has published as to be scarcely recognisable — but denies 

 the destruction of any fibres. ## 



Lastly, I may mention a paper by Beneke, in which he describes the finding of a 

 hyaline degeneration of fibres in the puerperal uterus. As a result of his experiments 

 with smooth muscle of various organs of animals, he concludes that this hyaline degenera- 

 tion is an artificial post-mortem production. tt 



2. Connective Tissue. — The general opinion seems to be that the connective tissue is 

 reduced in a degree corresponding with that of the musculature, but the process is not 



* " Untersuchungeii uber das Verhalten des menschlichen Uterus nach der Geburt," von Dr Hesohl, Zeit. der Kais. 

 him. Gesellschaft. derAerzte zu Wien, Achter Jahrgang, 1852, Bd. ii. s. 228, &c. 



+ Kolliker, Mikroskopische Anatomie, s. 452. 



X Diet. Encyc. de Med., Art. " Musculaire," 1876, 2™e sdrie, vol. x. pp. 537, 541. 



§ Luschka, Die Anatomie des Menschen, 1864, 2 Bd. 2 Abtheilung, s. 365. 



|| Cent. f. Gyn., No. 1, 1885, Jan. 3 ; and 77 Morgagni, 1884. 



IT Beitrage zur Path. Anat. und Klin. Med., Leipzig, 1888. 



** Arch, de Physiologie Normale et Pathol., No. 8, 15th Nov. 1887, p. 568, &c, Troisieme s<5rie, tome dixieme, 1887. 



tt Beneke, "Zur Lehre von der hyalinen Degen. der glatten Muskelfasern," Virch. Arch., Bd. 7(7. Heft 1, s. 71. 



