Page 821. 
Page 822. 
120 THE PLACENTA OF THE HIPPOPOTAMUS. 
19. NOTE ON THE PLACENTA OF THE HIPPO- 
POTAMUS.* 
Nor knowing of any description of the placenta of Hippopotamus 
amphibius, I think it desirable to record the condition of that obtained 
after the birth of the calf, which occurred on the 5th of this month. 
The placenta is a long cylindrical bag, 33 feet from end to end 
and 14 feet across. There is only one aperture; and that is not more 
than a foot long, and is situated at one of the ends. The other end is 
rounded, and quite complete. It is evident that the whole viscus is 
much the shape of the enclosed foetus, and must have closely covered 
it. The end at which the rupture had occurred, that is the one 
situated at the os uteri, is a little constricted, as may be inferred from 
the above statement of its diameter. The umbilical cord is attached 
to the placenta at one of the sides, about halfway between the two 
ends. It is 14 feet long, and ragged at its free extremity. It is 
14 inches in diameter in the middle, and gets larger as it approaches 
its attachment, near which there are many spherical bodies, as big as 
peas and yellow in colour, supported on short amniotic pedicles. The 
outer surface of the whole viscus is covered uniformly with villi of a 
bright red colour; and there is no reduction of their number, nor in 
their size, at the cecal end at all. At the lacerated extremity, close to 
the rupture, they are paler and more scattered. The walls of the 
viscus are of uniform thickness, except for a few inches round the ~ 
point of attachment of the cord, where the vessels commence to 
diffuse themselves. 
When received, the whole sac was turned inside out; and this was 
probably the result of the gradual contraction of the uterus from 
fundus to orifice. It may be remarked that for a few days after the 
birth of the calf, the mother had a considerable prolapse of the 
vagina, which gradually diminished, and is now very slight. 
* “Proceedings of the Zoological Society,” 1872, pp. 821-2. Read, Nov. 19, 
1872. 
