On the causes and treatment of abortion and sterility; being the result of an extended practical inquiry into the physiological and morbid conditions of the uterus, with reference especially to leucorrhoeal affections and the diseases of menstruation / [James Whitehead].

James Whitehead

Date:: 1847

Credit: On the causes and treatment of abortion and sterility; being the result of an extended practical inquiry into the physiological and morbid conditions of the uterus, with reference especially to leucorrhoeal affections and the diseases of menstruation / [James Whitehead]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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$When examined under the microscope with a power of 300, it was found to be quite free from fibrin, or rather from that form of it which occurs in the coagulum of blood, hut con¬ sisted of numerous corpuscles floating in a colourless fluid. These corpuscles differed very considerably in form, size, and colour. The conclusions arrived at were : — 1st. By far the greater number consisted of altered blood-discs, which had become so tumid from distension, that when they were viewed edgeways, they apppeared doubly convex, or oval. 2ndly. A multitude of minute granules, not larger than 2o]mth of an inch, which appeared like the small granules sometimes emitted from the blood-corpuscle, which Dr. L. believes to have been their origin. 3rdly. Some large, coloured globules, densely nucleated, which at first appeared like adherent blood-discs, but a further examination shewed that they were the “ exudation globule ” of Gerber, the “ granule cell ” of Vogel, or the “inflammation globule” of Glage and others. They varied in size from 8J0th to 0400th of an inch in diameter, and contained two or more nuclei. 4thly. There were many colourless cells (lymph globules) appearing indistinctly nu¬ cleated ; these were refractive, and were more distinct when the focal distance was increased; they measured about 2400th of an inch in diameter. 5thly. A few red oval corpuscles, well defined, and mono- or bi-nucleated. 6thly. A quantity of mucus globules, which were colourless and three or four times the size of the blood-discs. 7thly. The field also pre¬ sented a great number of scales of plaster epithelium. Water rapidly dissolved the blood corpuscles, Avhile the other globules and scales were either not affected, or but slightly, even after a long interval. Ether also dissolved the blood-discs, as well as the exudation globules and minute granules; the others were unaffected. Acetic acid rapidly acted on the blood-corpuscles, more slowly on the exudation globules; the others it made more distinct, bringing out their nuclei.$