vii THE STAGES OF LIFE AND DEATH 277 



The spleen weighs 9 grins, at birth; Malpighi's corpuscles 

 make their appearance only at the close of intra-uterine life. The 

 secretion of the pancreas at the time of birth has a slight amylo- 

 lytic action. Owing to the weak digestive capacity of the new- 

 born infant, the faeces contain many undigested organic substances, 

 such as casein and fats, as well as undecomposed bile pigments and 

 salts. 



The kidneys are perfectly developed in the new-born child, 

 although they present an irregular lobular surface ; on an average 

 each weighs 11 grms. The quantity of urine, which is small during 

 the first two days, increases greatly in proportion to the weight of 

 the body at the end of the first week, a change due either to the 

 liquid diet or to the active metabolism. Not only the quantity of 

 urine, but also that of the urea and other nitrogenous or non- 

 nitrogenous constituents is proportionately greater in the case of 

 the infant than in the adult ; the phosphates, and more especially 

 phosphates of lime, which are retained for the construction of the 

 bones, are, however, scanty. 



The skeleton of the new-born child is still partly cartilaginous. 

 Of the various points of ossification we would call attention to the 

 one corresponding to the lower extremity of the femur (known as 

 the nucleus of Blecard), which is important as a criterion of the 

 development of the foetus. 



At birth the formation of the brain, which weighs about 350 

 grms., is complete, and according to Kb'lliker the number of its 

 convolutions and accessory folds is so great as sometimes to 

 exceed that of the adult. The first complete nerve-cells make 

 their appearance in the spinal cord and inter-vertebral ganglia 

 and are those which form the roots of the spinal nerves. By their 

 means are effected the first reflex acts, the simplest movements of 

 the foetus up to the fourth and fifth months of intra-uterine life. 

 Later on, when the foetus measures 40 cms., the cells of the column 

 of Goll are completed, by means of which peripheral stimuli are 

 transmitted along the whole length of the spinal cord to the lower 

 portions of the bulb. The eighth month sees the complete develop- 

 ment of the fibres of the tract of Gowers, which extend to the 

 upper grey matter of the brain, the optic thalami, and the cerebral 

 cortex ; thus the sensory paths are opened. Even before birth the 

 conditions necessary for the rudiments of psychical life have come 

 into being, and the child when it first comes into the world, and 

 even before it opens its eyes and ears, has ceased at least in the 

 physiological sense to be the tabula rasa or blank page of certain 

 philosophers. On these foundations the sensory and motor areas 

 of the cerebral cortex are built up, and between them spread the 

 association fibres and centres. 



We may remark in passing that the nervous system of the 

 child is more excitable than that of the adult ; this may be due 



