110
FOETAL-MATERNAL ATTACHMENTS
[Vol. XXV, Part II,
were cut opened and the placental membranes carefully dissected from the endome-
trium. The type and degree of attachment were recorded. In buffalo, the position
and number of the maternal cotyledons were observed. Non-pregnant genitalia
of buffaloes and camels were dissected as control. The micro-anatomy of the atta-
chments was studied under a dissecting microscope. The conceptus was completely
removed from the uterus and the placental membranes were examined.
RESULTS
In the buffalo, the non-pregnant endometrium was subdivided into two parts,
the uterine caruncles and the intercaruncular areas. These caruncles were essen-
tially local thickening of the sub-epithelial dense connective tissue which elsewhere
existed as a thin layer beneath the epithelium. The cotyledonary burrs were more
or less of the same size and were visible to the naked eye as small circular areas on the
surface of the uterine mucous membrane. They were arranged in linear arrangement
ranging from five or six rows in the uterine body to two rows at the extremities of
the horn.
During early pregnancy, fine villi appeared as buds on the surface of the chorionic
membranes opposite to the maternal caruncles. They then started to develop, fitting
into the concavities of the protruding cotyledons. By mid-pregnancy there was a
good degree of adherance between the chorionic villi and the interlocking lamellae
of the maternal cotyledons. Later there was a large system of branching in the
placentomes. The free surface of the ripe cotyledons (mid-pregnancy) was markedly
convex and the base of attachment was constricted to a narrow pedicle. In the
gravid horn, the average number of cotyledons varied from 31 in the early stages
to 89 in late stages. In the non-gravid horn the average number ranged from 11 in
the early stages to 58 in the late stages. The maximum number was 110 in the
gravid horn and 107 in the non-gravid. The number of cotyledons in the gravid was
in excess of that in the non-gravid, sometimes as much as 600 per cent. The diameter
of the cotyledons varied markedly with the stage of pregnancy as well as the position
in the uterus. The cotyledons of the largest diameter (some 13 cm.) were situated near
the middle of the allantio-chorionic sac opposite to the dorsum of the foetus (Fig. 1).
In all the cases observed the foetus was found in the uterine horn corresponding
to the same side of ovulation, i.e. there were no signs of ova migration. The two
ends of allantois were terminated by necrotic tips, these were mainly of puss-like
material. The necrotic tip of the non-gravid horn was more abundant than that
in the gravid horn. In the amnion, there were numerous amniotic pustules. They
were pale spots during early pregnancy and yellow elevations of 4 mm. in diameter
during mid and late pregnancy.
The histological study of the sections showed that there was an intimate con-
nection between the foetal villi and the endometrium. The uterine epithelium
covering the base of maternal cotyledons was completely denuded and disappeared,
leaving the chorion in contact with the connective tissue of the uterus (Fig. 2).
In the camel, the non-pregnant endometrium did not show any elevations
(caruncles). The foetal-maternal attachments were much simpler than those in
the buffalo. The pregnant genitalia of the camel showed considerable oedema