The
fascination with the enigmatic placenta, its historical significance, and
intricate functions stretches from ancient times to the present day. In Egypt,
a sculpture venerates the royal placenta, linked by an umbilical cord, and
hails it as the Pharaoh's "soul" or "secret helper,"
believing the kingdom's prosperity rested on the sovereign's well-being and
preservation of his soul. The Hebrew Bible terms it the "Bundle of
Life" and "External Soul." The placenta, its name derived from
the Greek "flat cake," captivated the curiosity of luminaries like
Aristotle and Galen, the preeminent scholars of antiquity. Aristotle, around
340 BCE, commenced the examination and nomenclature of fetal membranes but
faced challenges due to species variations and his use of animal subjects,
leading to some erroneous conclusions that endured for centuries.
Around
1510, Leonardo da Vinci channeled his genius into anatomical depictions,
including those of the fetus, portraying the uterus with its blood vessels,
fetal membranes, and umbilical cord. He posited that fetal blood vessels
remained distinct from the mother's, a longstanding inquiry from ancient times
to the eighteenth century. In his 1628 medical masterpiece "De Motu
Cordis," William Harvey laid the groundwork for our contemporary
comprehension of circulatory system and heart physiology.
In
1651, Harvey expanded his inquiries to scrutinize fetal circulation and its
interaction with the mother's. He posed a fundamental question: How does the
fetus endure and respire in the womb for months yet succumb shortly after birth
if unable to breathe? Recognizing the separate circulatory systems of mother
and fetus, he proposed that the amniotic sac's fluid nourished and oxygenated
the fetus. We now understand that from the fourth week of development until
birth, the placental circulation facilitates the exchange of nutrients,
respiratory gases, and waste materials between the embryo, fetus (post the
ninth week), and the mother.
 |
| In this illustration from Dr. Paul Labarthe's "Usual Medicine Dictionary" of 1885, we witness the imminent birth of a fetus. |
No comments:
Post a Comment