September 21, 1917] 



SCIENCE 



345 



original functions, retain and store up the ac- 

 cumulated excreta -which is discharged only 

 after feeding ceases, when such discharge on 

 the interior of the cell occupied by the larva 

 would not involve contamination of the food. 

 Bureau of Entomology, "^^^^ ^- Kelson 

 Washington, D. C, 

 July 18, 1917 



SPECIAL ARTICLES 



CONCERNING THE EFFECT OF INGESTED PLA- 

 CENTA ON THE GROWTH-PROMOTING 

 PROPERTIES OF HUMAN MILK 



It has been shown that the feeding of desic- 

 cated placenta to women during the first eleven 

 days after parturition causes an increase in 

 the protein and lactose per cent, of the milk.'- 



The present report is concerned with the 

 growth of the infants subsisting upon the milk 

 from the above sources. As a basis for com- 

 parison there is used the gro-wth of the infants 

 whose nourishment was derived from the wo- 

 men whose milk production was not subjected 

 to the influence of ingested desiccated pla- 

 centa. 



In the tables at the end of this paper the 

 number assigned to the infant corresponds to 

 the number given to the mother in the previ- 

 ous reports.-"- It should be remembered that all 

 the mothers were receiving the same diet and 

 that to the second set 0.6 gm. of desiccated pla- 

 centa was fed three times a day throughout the 

 period. 



Certain definite differences in the progress of 

 gro-wth of the two sets of infants are to be ob- 

 served. 



The variation limit per cent, from day to 

 day, and the absolute per cent, variation from 

 day to day is less in degree and tends to take 

 on more of a positive character in those in- 

 fants whose mothers were fed the desiccated 

 placenta. Also the per cent, variation from 

 the first day, both as regards its limits and its 

 average is at all times less in degree. The gen- 

 eral trend of these latter values is towards 

 zero; this is not to be seen with the infants 

 receiving milk from uninfluenced sources. 



I Hammett, F. S., and L. G. McNeile, Jour. Biol. 

 Chem., 1917, XXX.; Hammett, F. S., Jour. Biol. 

 Chem., 1917, XXIX., .381. 



It is evident that the recovery from the post- 

 natal decline in weight is hastened by the con- 

 sumption of milk produced under the influence 

 of maternally ingested placenta. 



It is obviously possible to eliminate from 

 consideration the increase in protein and 

 sugar production induced by the placental 

 feeding as the cause of the early weight in- 

 crease. 



TABLE I 



The Weights during the First Eleven Days after 

 Birth of the Infants receiving Milk from the 

 Mothers whose Production was Unin- 

 fluenced by the Ingestion of Desic- 

 cated Placenta 



Day 1 

 2 

 3 

 4 

 5 

 6 

 7 

 8 

 9 

 10 



144 

 143 

 131 

 135 

 134 

 134 

 141 

 143 

 149 

 146 

 148 



The Weights during the First Eleven Days after 

 Birth of the Infants receiving Milk from the 

 Mothers whose Production was In- 

 fluenced by the Ingestion of 

 Desiccated Placenta 



These results may then be best interpreted 

 on the assumption of the presence of some 

 growth-promoting factor in the ingested pla- 

 centa, which has been passed on to the infants 

 in the milk. There is thus opened up the prob- 

 ability of the placenta taking some part in 



