BOOK Vll. V. 38-vi. 42 



in Egypt for children to be born even in the eiglith 

 month ; and indeed in Italy also for such cases to 

 live, contrary to the belief of old times. These 

 matters vary in more ways also. Vistilia the wife 

 of GHtius and subsequently of Pomponius and of 

 Orfitius, citizens of the highest distinction, bore these 

 husbands four children, in each case after six months' 

 pregnancy, but subsequently gave birth to SuilUus 

 Rufus after ten months and Corbulo after six — both 

 of these became consuls, — and subsequently bore 

 Caesonia, the consort of the Emperor Gaius, after 

 seven months. Infants born in this number of 

 months are weakest in health during the first six 

 weeks, the mothers in the fourth and eighth months 

 of pregnancy ; and abortions in these cases are 

 fatal. Masurius states that Lucius Papirius as 

 praetor in a suit for an estate brought by an heir 

 presumptive gave judgement for the defendant; 

 the plaintiffs case was that the heir apparent's 

 mother said that he had been born after thirteen 

 months' pregnancy, and the ground for the judgement 

 was that there appeared to be no fixed pcriod of 

 pregnancy. 



VI. On the tenth day from conception pains in the Pregnaney. 

 head, giddiness and dim sight, distaste for food, and 

 vomiting are symptoms of the formation of the 

 embryo. If the chikl is a male, the mother has a 

 better colour and an easier dehvery ; there is move- 

 ment in the womb on the fortieth day. In a case of 

 the other sex all the symptoms are the opposite : 

 the burden is hard to carry, there is a sHght swelHng 

 of the legs and groin, Imt the first movement is on 

 the ninetieth day. But in the case of both sexes 

 the greatest amount of faintness occurs when the 



vOL. II. S 533 



