FCETAL NUTRITION: THE PLACENTA 



433 



of foetal nutriment. It was analysed by Gaingee, 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 the uterine milk 

 represented the secretion of these crypts. Ercolani went even further 

 and stated that such a secretion existed in all placenta?, but Turner 

 was strongly opposed to this : " That such a fluid (uterine milk) is 



FIG. 117. Columnar trophoblast-cells from the base of a fa-tal villus 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.) 



produced in all placenta?, where utricular glands or follicles continue 

 to secrete during the whole period of placental formation, is very 

 probable. But in the placenta? of the sloth, the apes, and the human 

 female, where an unusual development of the maternal blood-vessels 

 into larger sinuses takes place, a modification in the anatomical 

 structure is produced which seems to render the presence of such a 

 secretion unnecessary. The nutritive changes in all probability take 

 place directly between the maternal and foetal blood." 



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

 the Placental Cotyledons of Ruminants," Brit, and For. Med.-Ckir. Review, 1864. 



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

 viii., 1874. 



3 Ercolani, "SulP unita del tipo anatomico della placenta," Mem. delP Accad. 

 di Bologna, 1876. 



