AMNIOTIC FLUID. 609 



From the cotyledons of the placenta in ruminants a white or faintly rose-colored 

 creamy fluid, the uterine milk, can be obtained by pressure. It is alkaline in 

 reaction, but quickly becomes acid. Its specific gravity is 1.033-1.040. It con- 

 tains as form-elements fat-globules, small granules, and epithelium-cells. There 

 have been found 81.2-120.9 p. m. solids, 61.2-105.6 p. m. protein, about 10 p. m. 

 fat, and 3.7-8.2 p. m. ash in the uterine milk. 



The fluid occurring in the so-called GRAPE-MOLE (Mola racemosa) has a low 

 specific gravity, 1.009-1.012, and contains 19.4-26.3 p. m. solids with 9-10 p. m. 

 protein bodies and 6-7 p. m. ash. 



The amniotic fluid in women is thin, whitish, or pale yellow; some- 

 times it is somewhat yellowish brown and cloudy. White flakes separate. 

 The form-elements are mucus-corpuscles, epithelium-cells, fat-drops, and 

 lanugo hair. The odor is stale, the reaction neutral or faintly alkaline. 

 The specific gravity is 1.002-1.028. 



The amniotic fluid contains the constituents of ordinary transudates. 

 The amount of solids at birth is hardly 20 p. m. In the earlier stages of 

 pregnancy the fluid contains more solids, especially proteins. Among 

 the protein bodies, WEYL found one substance similar to vitellin, and with 

 great probability also seralbumin, besides small quantities of mucin. 

 Enzymes . of various kinds (pepsin, diastase, thrombin, lipase) occur, 

 according to BONDI. Sugar is regularly found in the amniotic fluid of 

 cows, but not in human beings. In the ox, pig, and goat GURBER and 

 GRUNBAUM also found levulose. The human amniotic fluid also con- 

 tains some urea, uric acid, and allantoin. The quantity of these may be 

 increased in hydramnion (PROCHOWNICK, HARNACK), which depends on 

 an increased secretion by the kidneys and skin of the foetus. Creatine 

 and lactates are doubtful constituents of the amniotic fluid. The quantity 

 of urea in the amniotic fluid, is, according to PROCHOWNICK, 0.16 p. m. 

 In the fluid in hydramnion PROCHOWNICK and HARNACK found respectively 

 0.34 and 0.48 p. m. urea. The chief mass of the solids consists of salts. 

 The quantity of chlorides (NaCl) is 5.7-6.6 p. m. The molecular con- 

 centration of the amniotic fluid is somewhat lower than that of the blood, 

 which is no doubt due to a dilution by the foetal urine (ZANGEMEISTER 

 and MEISSL J ) . 



1 Weyl, Arch. f. (Anat. u.) Physiol., 1876; Bondi, Centralbl. f. Gynakol., 1903; 

 Prochownick, Arch. f. Gynak., 11, also Maly's Jahresber., 7, 155; Harnack, Berlin, 

 klin. Wochenschr., 1888, No. 41; Zangemeister and Meissl, Munch, med. Wochenschr^ 

 1903; Giirber and Griinbaum, ibid., 1904. 



