[ 7 1 3 
VIII. An Account of a particular Change of Structure In the 
human Ovarium. By Matthew Bail lie. M. IX ; communi- 
cated by John Hunter, Efq. F. R. S. 
' Read' February 26,. 1780. 
-*•’ • . 4 r a ; 4 > ' \ Y , f* C . v ' ? - ■ 
T HE ovaria in women are fubjefb to a great variety o 
changes from their natural ftrufture. Many of thefe 
are exactly fimilar to what take place in other parts of the 
body ; but there is one which fee ms peculiar to them, the 
nature of which has probably not been hitherto very well 
afeertained. The change of ftrudiure to which I allude, is a 
converfion of the natural fubftance of an ovarium into a fatty 
mafs, intermixed with hair and teeth. This fort of change is 
rare, although it occurs fufficiently often to have been feeu by 
moft perfons who are very converfant in the examination of 
dead bodies. There are many cafes of it reiatedin the different 
books of diffeftions, but, as far as I have difcovered, moft com* 
monly without any remarks upon the mode of formation * ; or 
they have been conftdered as very imperfect attempts at the 
* It has been the opinion of fome, that hair, teeth, nails, feathers, &c. are 
animal vegetables or plants; and, agreeably to this opinion. Dr. Tyson considers 
the growth of hair and teeth in the ovarium as a luj us natures^ where nature 
endeavours to produce fomething, and being difappointed in forming an animal, 
produces a vegetable. Vide Hooke’s Ledlures and Collection, N° IJ, p. 11.. 
and i 
growth 
>-r. 
