536 ON PARTURITION. 



cartilaginous fishes generally. These conceive a perfect two- 

 coloured egg, made up, that is, of albumen and yelk, and con- 

 tained in a strong quadrangular shell ; from this, still retained 

 within the uterus, the young fish is formed : it then breaks 

 through the shell, and makes its Avay out. In an exactly simi- 

 lar manner the young viper eats through the egg-shell, some- 

 times whilst it remains in utero, sometimes when within the 

 passages, at others two or three days after birth. Hence arose 

 the fable of the young viper eating through the womb of its 

 mother, and so avenging its father's death; it does, in fact, 

 nothing but what the young of every animal does, breaking 

 though the membranes which envelope it, either in the delivery 

 itself, or a short time subsequently to that event. 



We learn moreover from positive observations how much the 

 foetus contributes to its own birth. A woman in my own 

 neighbourhood, and I speak as having knowledge of the circum- 

 stance, died one evening, and the body was left by itself in a 

 room ; the next morning an infant was found between the 

 thighs of the mother, having evidently forced its way out by its 

 own efforts. Gregorius Nymmanus has collected several in- 

 stances of a similar kind from trustworthy authors. 



I am further acquainted with a woman who had the whole 

 length of the vagina so torn and injured in a difficult labour, 

 that subsequently, after she had again become pregnant, not 

 only did the parts in the neighbourhood of the nymphse, but 

 the whole cavity of the vagina as far as the orifice of the uterus, 

 become adherent; this went to such an extent that coition 

 became impossible, nor could a probe be passed up, nor was 

 there any passage left for the ordinary discharges. When her 

 labour came on her sufferings were so dreadful that all hope of 

 delivery was abandoned. She therefore gave up the keys to 

 her husband, arranged her affairs, and took leave of her friends 

 who were present. On a sudden, however, by the violent efforts 

 of the foetus the whole space was burst through, and a vigorous 

 infant born; thus was the foetus the salvation both of itself and 

 its mother, besides opening the way for subsequent children. 

 By the exhibition of proper remedies the mother recovered her 

 former good state of health. 



The following instance is even more remarkable. A white 

 mare of great beauty had been presented to her Serene High- 



