On the Construction of the Human Placenta (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1858 edition. Excerpt: ...arteries soon terminate in the cavernous structure of the placenta, &c." (Ibid.) I cannot help thinking that when Dr. Lee published this recantation, it was incumbent upon him to explain how, in his six dissections of the bodies of pregnant women performed ten years before, he had missed seeing " the curling arteries, of the size of crow-quills," passing between the uterua and placenta, --how he then failed to detect the ruptured extremities of the same on the uterine surface of fresh placenta, and also the placental cells; and by what process he arrived at the discovery of all these parts at the latter period. To me it would have been peculiarly gratifying and instructive if he had done so, for I must say that in 1847 I can perceive no openings of blood-vessels on the uterine surface of the placenta, nor can I discover those cavities which have been called placental cells. T cannot leave this part of ray subject without mentioning that Dr. Lee's paper quoted above contains a letter to him from Mr. Owen, giving a description of dissections made by him confirmatory of the views then held by Dr. Lee. He, too, has since explained all this away, and professed himself satisfied that Mr. Hunter's general views are correct in the main. Contrary even to what, as we shall presently see, is the established opinion of the microscopists, he seems to admit the existence of placental cells. "Can such things be, And overcome us like a summer cloud Without our special wonder " Pf.EioD IV.--Opinions advanced by Dutrochet, Velpeau, and others We ought to entertain a stronger feeling of gratitude than I suspect we generally do towards our Gallic neighbours for compelling us to see and acknowledge the errors into which the H'jnters had...