SECT. XXXVIIL 3.3. OF BLOOD. 371 



found among the contents of the ftomach in new-born calves ; 

 which rnuft therefore have licked themfelves before their nativi- 

 ty. Blafii Anatom. See Sea. XVI. 2. on Inftinfl:. 



The chick in the egg is feen gently to move in its furround- 

 ing fluid, and to open and ftiut its mouth alternately. The 

 fame has been obferved in puppies. Halter's El. Phyf. I. 8. 

 p. 201. 



A column of ice has been feen to reach down the cefophagus 

 from the mouth to the ftomach in a frozen fetus ; arid this ice 

 was the liquor amnii frozen. 



The meconium, or firft feces, in the bowels of new-born in- 

 fants evince, that fomething has been digefted ; and what could 

 this be but the liquor amnii together with the recrements of the 

 gaftric juice and gall, which were neceflary for itsdigeftion ? 



Another argument to evince, that the fetus is nourifhed by al- 

 iment taken into the ftomach and inteftincs by the mouth dur- 

 ing the latter months of pregnancy, may be deduced from the 

 liver of the fetus ; which Haller obferves to be very large ; not 

 like the lungs, as if defigned for the future man after nativity. 

 Phyfiol. Vol. VI. p. 618. Whence a fecretion of bile mud al- 

 ready exift, which can ferve no purpofe but to be mixed with 

 the digefting aliment. 



There have been recorded fome monftrous births of animals 

 without heads, and confequently without mouths, which feem 

 to have been delivered on doubtful authority, or from inaccurate 

 obfervation. There are two of fuch monftrous productions 

 however better attefted ; one of a human fetus, mentioned by 

 Gipfon in the Scots Medical Eflays ; which having the gula im- 

 pervious was furnifhed with an aperture into the wind-pipe, 

 which communicated below into the gullet ; by means of which 

 the liquor amnii might be taken into the ftomach before nativity 

 without danger of fufFocation, while the fetus had no occafion 

 to breathe. The other monftrous fetus is defcribed by Vander 

 Wiel, who aflerts that he faw a monftruous lamb, which had na 

 mouth ; but in (lead of it was furnifhed with an opening in the 

 lower part of the neck into the ftomach. Both thefe inftances 

 evidently favour the doftrine of the fetus being nourifhed by the 

 mouth 5 as otherwife there had been no neceflity for new or 

 unnatural apertures into the ftomach, when the natural ones 

 were deficient. 



From thefe fa<Sls and obfervations we may fafely infer, that 

 the fetus in the womb is nouriftied by the fluid which furrounds 

 it , which during the firft period of geftation is abforbed by the 

 naked lafteals , and is afterwards fwallowed into the ftomach 

 and bowels, when thefe organs are perfected 5 and laftlythat 



the 



