Identifier: treatiseonscien00play (find matches)
Title: A treatise on the science and practice of midwifery
Year: 1880 (1880s)
Authors: Playfair, W. S. (William Smoult), 1836-1903 Harris, Robert P., ed
Subjects: Obstetrics
Publisher: Philadelphia, H. C. Lea
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: The Library of Congress

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to are of very common occur-rence, and they are found in all parts of the organ ; in its substance. 226 PREGNANCY on its decidual -surface, or immediately below the amnion, wherethey serve as points of origin for the cysts that are there oftenobserved. The fibrine thus deposited undergoes retrograde meta-morphosis as in other parts of the body ; it becomes decolorized, itundergoes fatty degeneration or becomes changed into calcareousmasses; and in this way, it is supposed, may be explained the vari-ous pathological changes which are so commonly observed. Theamount of retrograde metamorphosis, and the precise appearancepresented will, of course, depend on the time that has elapsed sincethe blood extravasations took place. Fatty degeneration of the placenta, and its influence on the nutri-tion of the foetus, have been specially studied in this country byBarnes and Druitt. Yellowish masses of varying size are very com-monly met with in placentas, and these are found to consist, in great
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Fatty Degeneration of the Placenta. part, of molecular fat, mixed with a fine network of fibrous tissue.The true fatty degeneration, however, specially affects the chorionvilli (Fig. 87). On microscopic examination they are found to bealtered and misshaped in their contour, and to be loaded with finegranular fat-globules. Similar changes are observed in the cells ofthe decidua. The influence on the foetus will, of course, depend onthe extent to which the functions of the villi are interfered with.The probable cause of this degeneration, is, no doubt, some obscurealteration in the nutrition of the tissue, depending on the state of the PATHOLOGY OF THE DECIDUA AND OVUM. 227 Fig. 88. mothers health. Barnes believes that syphilis has much influencein its production. Druitt has pointed out that some amount of fattydegeneration is always present in a mature placenta, and is probablyconnected with the physiological separation of the organ; and Good-ell has more recently suggested that an unu

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