The placenta, the organic nervous system, the blood, the oxygen, and the animal nervous system, physiologically examined / by John O'Reilly.

  • O'Reilly, John, 1813-1868.
Date:
1861
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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The placenta, the organic nervous system, the blood, the oxygen, and the animal nervous system, physiologically examined / by John O'Reilly. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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    /7 ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY OF THE PLACENTA. In order to demonstrate that the organic nerves surround- ing the maternal uterine arteries inosculate with the organic nerves surrounding the hypogastric arteries of the foetus, thus establishing a nervous communication between mother and child, it becomes necessary to study the anatomy of the pla- centa, by its analogy to other organs, as well as the compara- tive anatomy of the Invertebrata in relation to the organic nervous system. 1. That the placenta resembles a conglomerate gland. 2. That the placenta bears a very strong resemblance to the liver in its anatomical organization and its function. 3. That the placenta is composed of four sets of vessels, con- nected together by cellular tissue. 4. That two sets of vessels enter the placenta in large trunks—namely, the maternal uterine arteries, which convey the arterial blood from the mother to the placenta; and the hypogastric arteries, which carry back the blood to the pla- centa, after its circulation in the foetus. 5. That two sets of vessels commence in capillaries—namely, the umbilical vein, which conveys the arterial blood to the foetus; and the uterine veins, which commence in capillaries, and proceed directly to enter the decidua uteri, and discharge their contents into the uterine sinuses, and through the latter to the venous circulation of the mother. 2