On the construction of the placenta, and the mode of communication between the mother and the fœtus in utero / by Francis Adams.

  • Adams, Francis, 1796-1861.
Date:
1849
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On the construction of the placenta, and the mode of communication between the mother and the fœtus in utero / by Francis Adams. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    4/8 (page 4)
    substance on the inner surface of the uterus evidently aportion of the maternal cotyledon much torn.'] 33, s.—A portion of the uterus in which the arteries had been injected red, the veins yellow : shows inside surface and the torn orifices of the veins filled with the yellow injection. [Pieces of red wax, certainly having some resemblance to vessels, are to be seen, but they prove nothing as to the construction of the placenta.] 34. — Ditto, shows ditto. [Nothing cer¬ tain can be made of this preparation : very unsatisfactory. ] 96, s.—A portion of the placenta and its membranes : on the surface which adhered to the uterus may be seen some very small curling arteries injected red, and veins in¬ jected black, which are going to the cells of the placenta. [I cannot make anything of this preparation. Substance of the pla¬ centa a mass of red wax.] 100, s.—A small section of placenta with part of the membranes : the cells of the placenta have been filled from the veins of the uterus, and vice versa ; the cells are not very bare; on the side which adhered to the uterus the veins may be seen very dis¬ tinctly. [Difficult to say what is meant here by the cells of the placenta. Quite an indistinct preparation.] 106.—A section of uterus with mem¬ branes turned partly down, and showing a double layer of decidua. [A beautiful pre¬ paration. What is called decidua, a mere film, seemingly devoid of regular struc¬ ture.] 118, s.—A section of uterus with placenta partly adhering and partly detached : show¬ ing in the angle the mode of adhesion. [Very interesting, but no appearance of vessels at the angle. Quite at variance with the Hunterian hypothesis, as not ex¬ hibiting the utero-placental vessels.] 124, s.—A small portion of the placenta and uterus, where the cells of the placenta have been injected from the veins of the uterus ; the veins are seen, very large, en¬ tering into the substance of the uterus : injection green. [The green pieces of wax here taken for veins passing between the placenta and uterus, are as large as the femoral vein of an adult. Quite out of the question that this can be a correct prepara¬ tion: evidently the result of laceration.] 145, s.—A portion of the uterus with placenta adhering; injected red : the cells of the placenta injected from the uterus. [Difficult to make out what is meant by the cells: altogether the placenta is a confused mass.] 147, s.—A portion of placenta with the cells apparently filled with fine injection of a red colour; less distinct than when coarse injection is employed ; the vessels of the navel-string are quite empty, although the vessels of the cells had been very minute, proving no communication. [The entire mass of the placenta is here seen injected, except the cord; consequently the injection must have burst the vessels, even according to the Hunterian hypothesis.] 149, t.—A portion of uterus and pla¬ centa ; the arteries injected of a dark colour, and veins green : both vessels are seen en¬ tering into the substance of the placenta. [Pieces of wax to be seen on the uterine surface of the placenta, but no reason to suppose that they are vessels.] 158, t.—A portion of uterus and pla¬ centa ; the placenta being partly detached, shewing veins injected green from the uterus, going into the posterior surface of placenta ; the placenta itself injected with a different injection. [Certainly no inference as to the construction of the placenta can be drawn from this preparation. The green substances are taken for vessels, but in all probability they are lacerations ; the wax has burst the vessels.] 160, s.—A placenta injected from the navel-string red, to great minuteness, most entirely unravelled, showing a most beauti¬ ful shag of vessels : it has been hardened by spirits of wine probably, and put into oil of turpentine. [A curious preparation, but shows nothing in regard to the construction of placenta. Indeed, it seems at variance until the Hunterian hypothesis, for the whole mass of the placenta is injected from the umbilical cord.] (?) s. t.—A portion of uterus with pla¬ centa adhering ; the vessels of the uterus injected red and black : the cells of the placenta are filled with a different injection, and therefore not from the vessels of the uterus, but must have been previously filled from the spongy surface of the placenta itself. [What is here said about the cells is quite imaginary : here the mass of the placenta would seem, to be injected from the uterine vessels. Preparation quite unsatis¬ factory.] 176, s.—Section of uterus with placenta adhering: the cells of the placenta are injected from the vessels of the uterus. [The centre is filled with a red injection from the uterus, but no appearance of vessels passing between the uterus and pla¬ centa.] 178, s.—A small section of the uterus, with the veins injected green, and broken off where they are entering the placenta. [Green pieces of wax are to be seen on the surface of the uterus, but no reason to suppose them truncated vessels.] From what I have now stated, it will be readily understood that, in my opinion, the preparations in the Hun-