26 MEMOIR OF SWAMMERDAM. 



drawing, afterwards published by Blasius ; and states 

 the result of his inquiries in a letter to Thevenot, in 

 the following particulars: 1. The Spinal Marrow 

 consists entirely of fibres. 2. Those distinct fibres 

 meet and terminate in some part of the brain. 

 3. Fibrous nerves issue from the fibres of the spinal 

 marrow. 4. The pia mater is altogether extended 

 into hollow sheaths. 5. All these things may be 

 easily seen by suddenly placing the yet warm spinal 

 marrow along with the vertebrae containing it in cold 

 water, and breaking the vertebrae with great caution 

 from the marrow, after having suffered both to re- 

 main in that situation during the space of a day 

 and a night. 



After composing an elaborate essay on Respiration 

 as a thesis, he repaired to Leyden to take his degree. 

 There he resumed his intimacy with the famous Van 

 Home, under whom he had formerly studied. Aware 

 of his extraordinary skill in such matters, this Profes- 

 sor engaged him in a variety of experiments, arid in 

 forming anatomical preparations, for which he took 

 care to supply him with abundance of materials ; and 

 with such enthusiasm did the young physician prose- 

 cute this congenial task, that he is said to have 

 laboured both by night and day. It was on this oc- 

 casion that he first injected the uterine vessels of a 

 human subject with a ceraceous matter, a useful 

 operation which he subsequently learned to perform 

 with great accuracy and beauty. He now also be- 

 gan to practice a new and excellent method of pre- 

 paring delicate viscera for demonstrations, namely 



