ON PARTURITION. 



ON generation follows parturition, that process, viz. by which 

 the foetus comes into the world and breathes the external air. 

 I have, therefore, thought it well worth while, and within the 

 scope of my design, to treat briefly of this subject. With 

 Fabricius, then, I shall consider the causes, the manner, and 

 the seasons of this process, as well as the circumstances which 

 both precede and follow it. The circumstances which occur 

 immediately previous to birth, and which, in women especially, 

 indicate that the act of parturition is not far distant, are, on 

 the one hand, such a preparation and arrangement on the part 

 of the mother as may enable her to get rid of her offspring ; 

 and on the other, such a disposition of the foetus as may best 

 facilitate its expulsion. 



With respect to the latter, viz. the position of the foetus, 

 Fabricius says, 1 " that it is disposed in a globular form and 

 bent upon itself, in order that its extremities and prominent 

 points generally may not injure the uterus and the containing 

 membranes ; another reason being that it may be packed in as 

 small a space as possible." For my own part, I cannot think 

 that these are the reasons why the limbs of the foetus are 

 always kept in the same position. Swimming and moving 

 about, as it does, in water, it extends itself in every direction, 

 and so turns and twists itself that occasionally it becomes 

 entangled in a marvellous manner in its own navel-string. 

 The truth is, that all animals, whilst they are at rest or asleep, 



1 De Form. Foe*, cap. ix, p. 40. 



