56 
AN EARLY HUMAN OVUM 
pains. Later she suffered very severe pains and returned for treatment 
on “7th February” (surely a misprint for 27th February?). A quantity 
of clots and a complete decidual cast were removed from the vagina. 
The ovum formed a projection like a pea. The decidua capsularis appears 
to have been ruptured, and the embryo is not figured. The preservation 
of the ovum is remarkably good. There are no useful data as to 
coitus. The interval between the cessation of menstruation and the first 
symptoms of abortion is about 21 days. Allowing 24 hours for the occur¬ 
rence of fertilization, and assuming that development ceased soon after the 
appearance of symptoms, an age of 20 days is possible, and by com¬ 
parison with Eternod’s ovum, it might be stated as 18 to 19 days. 
IX.—Ovum of Eternod. 
This ovum, from the point of view of chronology, is one of the 
most important in the literature—as we have here the absolute maximum 
time occupied by development to a stage almost identical with that of 
ovum “Ole” of v. Spee. It is excellently preserved, and has been 
most carefully described and figured. It was obtained from a woman 
“worthy of belief” (“digne de eonfiance”), who, through force of circum¬ 
stances, had coitus with her husband only on one occasion, namely, the 
night of 6th-7th November, 1891. Menstruation did not appear as expected 
on November 22nd. On November 28 th she aborted. According to Eternod 
this “ allows, reckoning upon possible delay of fertilization and of days 
preparatory to abortion, of the deduction that the specimen was of the end 
of the 2nd or beginning of the 3rd week.” The ovum was of Fattened 
disc shape, measuring with the villi 10 x 8’2 x 6 mm. The villi measured 
from 1*2 to 2 mm. in length, and the embryo L3 mm. in length by from 
*18 to '22 mm. in width. It is in much the same stage of development 
as ovum “Gle” of von Spee, but is slightly smaller in all respects. On the 
principles which have been applied to the present ovum, we have to 
deduct from the total period of 21 complete days and part of the 22nd 
day, about 24 hours for the occurrence of fertilization and rather more 
than one day for the abortion, leaving a probable maximum of 19 days. 
The age may therefore be stated as 18 to 19 days. 
