FCETAL NUTRITION: THE PLACENTA 401 



foetal nutriment. It was analysed by Gamgee/ 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 ^ 

 and Ercolani.' Turner showed that during pregnancy new 

 crypts were formed in the cotyledons, and he supposed that 



Fig. 92. — Columnar trophoblast-cells from the base of a fcetal 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.) 



the uterine milk represented the secretion of these crypts. 

 Ercolani went even further and stated that such a secretion 

 existed in aU placentae, but Turner was strongly opposed to 

 this : " That such a fluid (uterine milk) is produced in aU 

 placentae, where utricular glands or follicles continue to secrete 

 during the whole period of placental formation, is very probable. 



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

 in the Placental Cotyledons of Ruminants," Brit, and For. Med.-Chir. 

 Beview, 1864. 



^ Turner, " The Placentation of the Sloths," Jour, of Anat. and Phys., 

 vol. viii., 1874. 



' Ercolani, "SuU' unita del tipo anatomico della placenta,'' Mem. dell' 

 Accad. di Bologna, 1876. 



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