On the nature and source of the contents of the fætal stomach : being the substance of a paper communicated to the Royal Society of London in June last / by George Robinson.

  • Robinson, George, 1821-1875.
Date:
1847
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On the nature and source of the contents of the fætal stomach : being the substance of a paper communicated to the Royal Society of London in June last / by George Robinson. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Glasgow Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Glasgow Library.

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    of the foetal functions, that the evidence yet advanced is by no|H' means sufficient to establish any positive opinion on this point. I H Dr Lee thus describes the result of his own examination of the I li' stomach in several human foetuses:—The stomach of the foetus- m I usually found in these cases distended with a semi-transparent, ropy, mucous, and occasionally acescent fluid without any sensible admixture of albuminous or other apparently nutritious matter. ' o Dr Blundell, whose opinions on anypoint connected with the uterine i or foetal functions I consider to be worthy of e.very attention, has but i the following brief allusion to the subject:—The stomach of the i foetus is not unfrequently empty or nearly so; and when it does contain anything, if I may judge from some two or three observa- tions, this matter consists of a mucous secretion mixed with the gastric juice. ^ And in the systematic works on physiology, I do not perceive any mention of the subject further than an incidental statement that the foetal stomach contains a mucous fluid. The time which I could myself devote to this inquiry, and my oppor- tunities for conducting it, have been too limited to enable me to attempt anything like a full and final settlement of the various questions connected with this department of foetal physiology. The few facts which have fallen under my notice are, however, sufficiently distinct to establish some positive inferences, and I can only hope that the results of this rude effort may induce others better qualified for the investigation to extend and complete our knowledge of this interesting group of functions. My attention was first attracted to the subject in the autumn of last year, by an accidental observation of the stomach of a foetal rabbit, and having subsequently examined the foetuses of other animals, I met with a number of curious facts, of which the follow- ing is a brief account. Observation 1. During the last ten days of its uterine existence, I the stomach of the foetal rabbit is invariably distended with a semi- transparent fluid, of a dark green colour, extremely viscid, and coagulating by heat into a solid opaque mass. Viewed microsco- pically, it is found to consist of a clear liquid, susjiended in which are numerous cells of different shapes, and several large globules of oil. When heated in a watch-glass over a spirit lamp, it assumes the appearance of a piece of baked custard; and on dropping it into boiling water, it also instantly solidifies. Dried by a more gentle heat, it forms a brittle substance like ^^um, which, on being dissolved in water, answers to every test of albumen. A small quantity of the fresli liquid whicli had been excluded from the air in a test tube, on being examined at the end of six months, though it had acquired a disagreeable odour, was found|to retain all its che- ' riiiIoso])hical Trnnsnptions, 1829. Piirt i. p. 121. ^ Lectuie.s cditeil liy Lee .ind Rogcr.s p. OCT.