The following species are considered successively: swine, horse, cow, and sheep (epitheliocho- 

 rial), dog, cat, vampire bat (endotheliochorial), and man, mouse, rabbit, and guinea pig 

 (haemochorial). The atlas consists of 30, mostly composite, full-page plates comprising a total 

 of 104 figures. There are three types of figures: low-power light micrographs, high-power light 

 micrographs (osmium-fixed 1 j.i sections stained with toluidine blue), and electron micro- 

 graphs. Thus a good transition from lower to higher levels of magnification is achieved. 



After a four-page general introduction there are brief introductions for each of the main 

 three placental types, while the plates have extensive explanatory legends. 



The figures are on the whole of good quality, although the electron micrographs are 

 sometimes rather grey in tone. The book as a whole is produced with great care. It is con- 

 cluded by a five-page bibliography and a good subject index. 



30 



THE HUMAN PLACENTA. 1970. By J. D. BOYD and W. J. HAMILTON 



W. Heffer, Cambridge. 380 pp., 447 figs., 12 tabs., subject index. ISBN 85270 040 7. 360 s. 



Contents: I. Historical survey; II. Terminology; III. Age of embryos and foetuses; IV. Early 

 human development; V. The implantation of the blastocyst and the development of the 

 trophoblast up to the somite stage; VI. Villous stages (thirteen to twenty-one days); VII. 

 Somite stages (twenty- thirty days) (Streeter's horizons-X to XIV); VIII. General description of 

 specimens; IX. Structure and terminology of placental lobes and chorionic villi; X. Growth 

 of placenta; XL Trophoblast; XII. Speciahzations of the trophoblast; XIII. Basal plate and 

 placental septa; XIV. Foetal blood vessels of the placenta; XV. Stroma of villi; XVI. Vessels 

 of villi; XVII. The utero-placental circulatory system; XVIII. Intervillous space; XIX. Placental 

 fibrin and fibrinoid; XX. A medley of themes; XXI. The placenta in multiple pregnancy; 

 XXII. Envoi 



Two of the three authors of the famous Hamilton, Boyd, and Mossman textbook "Human 

 Embryology" have now given us a book that promises to become an equally well-known 

 classic. It is sad that Prof. Boyd did not live to see the book in print. 



The book is a truly monumental achievement, but full justice can only be done to it by a 

 reviewer who is himself an expert in the field. Therefore a few remarks must suffice here. 

 The book is largely descriptive in character, but functional aspects are considered throughout, 

 and more particularly in chapter XX, which considers the chemical composition of the pla- 

 centa and its relation to transport of substances, endocrinology, and immunology. For further 

 details of the plan of the book the reader is referred to the table of contents above. 



The book is printed in large format on heavy quality glossy paper, and is sturdily bound. 

 An outstanding feature are its numerous illustrations: drawings, gross photographs, photo- 

 micrographs, and electron micrographs; many of these are in colour, and all of them are of 

 superb quabty. The bibliography is largely restricted to the 20th century and covers 25 

 closely-printed pages. 



Collections of papers 

 31 



I. FORTSCHRITTE AUF DEM GEBIETE DER PLAZENTA-PHYSIOLOGIE 



II. NEUE FORSCHUNGSERGEBNISSE UBER DEN MUTTERLICHEN PLAZENTAKREISLAUF. 

 1970. By H. LEMTIS et al. 



Karger, Basel. Fortschritte der Geburtshilfe und Gynakologie, Vol. 41. 123 pp., 50 figs., 1 tab. 

 $ 7.80, 65 s., DM 32.50 (paper) 



Contributors: Banniza von Bazan, Kollath, Lemtis, Pohle, Puppe, Wilhelmi 



This sUm volume contains four contributions of two different natures. The first is a review 

 by H. Lemtis of recent literature on placental physiology covering a period of about five 

 years (1964-68). The three other contributions are research reports: one on directional 

 streaming of maternal blood in the human placenta (Lemtis, Banniza, Wilhelmi, Kollath, 

 Pohle, Puppe); one on the variable blood supply of the maternal intervillous space system in 

 the human placenta (Lemtis, Puppe, Wilhelmi); and one on the velocity of the blood stream 

 in the invervillous space system (Lemtis, Puppe, Wilhelmi). The results were obtained largely 



336 



