130 



A HISTORY OF 



up the blanks of our history with conjecture. 

 And, first, we are entirely ignorant of the state 

 of the infant in the womb, immediately after 

 conception ; but we have good reason to be- 

 lieve that it proceeds, as in most other animals, 

 from the egg. a Anatomists inform us, that 

 four days after conception, there is found in 

 the womb an oval substance, about the size of 

 a small pea, but longer one way than the 

 other ; this little body is formed by an extreme- 

 ly fine membrane, inclosing a liquor a good 

 deal resembling the white of an egg : in this 

 may, even then, be perceived, several small 

 fibres, united together, which form the first ru- 

 diments of the embryo. Beside these, are seen 

 another set of fibres, which soon after become 

 the placenta, or that body by which the ani- 

 mal is supplied with nourishment. 



Seven days after conception, we can readily 

 distinguish, by the eye, the first lineaments of 

 the child in the womb. However, they are as 

 yet without form ; showing, at the end of seven 

 days, pretty much such an appearance as that 

 of the chicken after four and twenty hours, 

 being a small jelly-like mass, yet exhibiting 

 the rudiments of the head ; the trunk is barely 

 visible : there likewise is to be discerned a small 

 assemblage of fibres issuing from the body of 

 the infant, which afterwards become the blood- 

 vessels that convey nourishment from the pla- 

 centa to the child, while inclosed in the womb. 



Fifteen days after conception, the head be- 

 comes distinctly visible, and even the most 

 prominent features of the visage begin to ap- 

 pear. The nose is a little elevated : there are 

 two black specks in the place of eyes ; and 

 two little holes, where the ears are afterwards 

 seen. The body of the embryo also is grown 

 larger ; and both above and below, are seen 

 two little protuberances, which mark the pla- 

 ces from whence the arms and thighs are to 

 proceed. The length of the whole body, at 

 this time, is less than half an inch. 



At the end of three weeks, the body has re- 

 ceived very little increase ; but the legs and 

 feet, with the hands and arms, are become ap- 

 parent. The growth of the arms is more 

 speedy than that of the legs ; and the fingers 

 are sooner separated than the toes. About 

 this time the internal parts are found, upon 



This history of the child in the womb is translated 

 from Mr. Bufibn, with some alterations. 



dissection, to become distinguishable. The 

 places of the bones are marked by small thread- 

 like substances, that are yet more fluid even 

 than a jelly. Among them, the ribs are dis- 

 tinguishable, like threads also, disposed on 

 each side of the spine ; and even the fingers 

 and toes scarcely exceed hairs in thickness. 



In a month, the embryo is an inch long ; 

 the body is bent forward, a situation which it 

 almost always assumes in the womb, either lie- 

 cause a posture of this kind is the most easy, 

 or because it takes up the least room. The 

 human figure is now no longer doubtful ; every 

 part of the face is distinguishable ; the body is 

 sketched out ; the bowels are to be distinguish- 

 ed as threads ; the bones are still quite soft, but 

 in some places beginning to assume a greater 

 rigidity ; the blood-vessels that go to the pla- 

 centa, which, as was said, contributes to the 

 child's nourishment, are plainly seen issuing 

 from the navel, (being therefore called the um- 

 bilical vessels,) and going to spread themselves 

 upon the placenta. According to Hippocrates, 

 the male e.rtbryo developes sooner than the fe- 

 male : he adds, that, at the end of thirty days, 

 the parts of the body of the male are distin- 

 guishable ; while those of the female are not 

 equally so till ten days after. 



In six weeks, the embryo is grown two 

 inches long ; the human figure begins to grow 

 every day more perfect ; the head being still 

 much larger, in proportion to the rest of the 

 body ; and the motion of the heart is perceiv- 

 ed almost by the eye. It has been seen to 

 beat in an embryo of fifty days old, a long 

 time after it had been taken out of the womb. 



In two months, the embryo is more than two 

 inches in length. The ossification is per- 

 ceivable in the arms and thighs, and in the 

 point of the chin, the under jaw being greatly 

 advanced before the upper. These parts, how- 

 ever, may as yet be considered as bony points, 

 rather than as bones. The umbilical vessels, 

 which before went side by side, are now be- 

 gun to be twisted, like a rope, one over the 

 other, and go to join with the placenta, which, 

 as yet, is but small. 



In three months, the embryo is above three 

 inches long, and weighs about three ounces. 

 Hippocrates observes, that not till then the mo- 

 ther perceives the child's motion : and he adds, 

 that in female children, the motion is not ob- 

 servable till the end of four months. How- 



