268 MEIGS' OBSERVATIONS ON THE EEPRODUCTIVE ORGANS, 



The foetus was developed in the left cornu of the womb, the right one being 

 partially developed by the intrusion into its cavity of the chorion and allantois. The 

 foetus, as I have said, is thirteen inches in length, and must have floated free in the 

 waters of the amnios. Such an inference is deducible from the fact that the animal 

 is not permanently flexed ; as in the terrestial mammals. PL XXXV. fig. 1. 



I am ignorant of the length of the uterus previous to the discharge of the ovum. 

 Doubtless it must have contracted very much after it was opened. In its present 

 contracted state, the womb is eleven inches long, by eight inches in its conjugate 

 diameter. The walls are about one-third of an inch thick. PL XXXVI. fig. 1. 



The whole interior aspect of the womb is pleated or folded like irregular valvulse 

 conniventes ; and these plicss, being very strongly expressed, and innumerable, have 

 the effect of augmenting the superficial contents of the inner aspect of the womb two 

 or three hundred per cent, beyond that of the external surface. I am not sure that 

 the inner aspect is not four or five hundred per cent, above the outer aspect in 

 superficial quantity. 



The specimen, which I now exhibit, may serve to satisfy those members who may 

 choose to make the computation. The drawing represents these pleats or folds ; (PL 

 XXXVI. fig. 1, d, d.) and I have also here, a drawing representing a section, 

 magnified five diameters, to show the multiplication of superficies thus obtained. 



I have said that the foetus was developed in the left cornu, and that there was but 

 one foetus ; nevertheless its allantois carried the chorion into the right cornu also, 

 which was very considerably developed by the distending chorion and amnion, serving 

 in this manner, greatly to multiply the points of contact betwixt the chorion and the 

 maternal surface. PL XXXVI. fig. 1, b, d. 



The chorion, whose inner surface is smooth, and even polished, is upon its exterior 

 aspect pleated in such manner as to let its projections and sulci fit accurately the 

 corresponding sulci and projections of the uterine folds ; so that — if in the present 

 specimen, the womb, before it was opened, was fourteen inches in length within — the 

 chorion was also fourteen inches in its longest diameter : but, if the inner aspect of 

 the uterus was greatly multiplied in its superficies, the outer aspect of the chorion 

 was equally multiplied. Hence the surfaces of contact of the foetal organ with the 

 mother's womb exceeded by many hundred per cent the apparent surface of contact. 



As to the amnios and the allantois, they were removed with the foetus, and given 

 to me already separated, and so much broken and torn that 1 shall not venture to 

 describe them now, I here exhibit them, however, to the members, who may 

 perceive that they cannot be fitly described in this note. PL XXXV. fig. 1. 



It appears to me that the structures thus briefly described are worthy of 

 consideration, as disclosing a most remarkable adaptation of the organs to the nature 



