FCETAL NUTRITION: THE PLACENTA 401 



foetal nutriment. It was analysed by Gamgee, 1 who showed 

 that the fluid contained a large amount of protein and fat and 

 some salts, and was thus well adapted for nutrition. 



But Haller's view of its origin was not accepted by Turner 2 

 and Ercolani. 3 Turner showed that during pregnancy new" 

 crypts were formed in the cotyledons, and he supposed that 



FIG. 92. Columnar trophoblast-cells from the base of a fcetal villas of the 

 placenta of the cow at the third month of pregnancy, to show phago- 

 cytosis. (From Jenkinson's " Notes on the Histology and Physiology 

 of the Placenta in Ungulata," Proc. ZooL Soc. , London, vol. i., 1906.) 



the uterine milk represented the secretion of these crypts. 

 Ercolani went even further and stated that such a secretion 

 existed in ah 1 placentae, but Turner was strongly opposed to 

 this : ''' That such a fluid (uterine milk) is produced in all 

 placentae, where utricular glands or follicles continue to secrete 

 during the whole period of placental formation, is very probable. 



1 Gamgee, "On the Chemistry and Physiology of the Milky Fluid found 

 in the Placental Cotyledons of Ruminants," Brit, and For. Med.-Chir. 

 Review, 1864. 



2 Turner, "The Placentation of the Sloths," Jour, of Anat. and Phys., 

 vol. viii., 1874. 



3 Ercolani, " Sull' unita del tipo anatomico della placenta," Mem. dell 1 

 Accad. di Bologna, 1876. 



2c 



