The Study on the Weights of the Various Visceral Organs from the Korean Fetuses

weights of various organs, such as, brain, thymus, kidney, adrenal gland, thyroid gland, liver, pancreas, heart, lung, spleen, testis, and ovary, to the body weights of their own have been summarized from the 460 Korean fetuses of stillborn. The parameters of each organ are further subdivided according to the sex and the sides with successive increase of the fetal age, from the 4th until the term of the fetal life. 1) In contrast to the body weight, the weight of the brain shows a rapid growth rate in the period from the 4th to the 6th, whereas the slow in the rest of the period of the fetal life until term. The brain weight at the term was reached to about 40 times of that of the 4th fetal month. 2) The rate of the weight growth of the thymus in contrast to that of the body weight was relatively higher during the period from 4th until 8th fetal month than that of the rest of the fetal period. The weight of the thymus at term was reached to about 180 times of the 4th fetal month. 3) The rate from the kidney shows higher in the period from 4th to 6th, then, was relatively steady during the rest of the fetal period. The weight of the 10th was reached to about 50 times of that of the 4th month. 4) The rate of the weight growth of the adrenal gland was somewhat lower than that of the body weight throughout the fetal period. The weight of the 10th was reached 20 times of the 4th fetal month. 5) A low growth rate in the thyroid weight in contrast to that of the body weight was lower during the period from 4th to 7th, and was higher during the rest of the fetal life. The weight of the term was reached at 15 times of that of the 4th month. 6) Of the liver, the higher rate was maintained until 6th, after that the rate became lower in contrast to that of the body weight. The weight of the 10th was reached to about 40 times of that of the 4th fetal month. 7) The lower rate from the pancreas before 8th was contrasted to the higher in the rest of the fetal life. The weight of the term was reached at about 30 times of that of the 4th fetal month. 8) The weight of the heart at 10th month was reached at about 30 times of that of the 4th month, the rate of the growth, however, was lower than that of the body weight throughout the period of the fetal life. 9) A similar rate to the heart was also found in the lung, except the increase of the weight of the term which was 15 times of that of the 4th month. 10) Until the 8th month, the rate of the spleen was higher than that of the rest, in which the lower rate was observed. The weight of the term was reached to about 40 times of that of the 4th fetal month. 11) Of the testis and ovary, as the gonad, somewhat higher rate was continued until 6th month, then the rate remains steady during the rest of the fetal life. The weight of the term was reached to about 10 times of that of the 4th. 12) None of the statistically significant difference on the weights of the kidney, adranal gland, testis and ovary was calculated in present observation. 13) The right lung was heavier than the left. 14) In general, none of the significant weight difference between Korean and Japanese. The weights however, were less than those of the European