VOL. Xr.] PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 297 



fore whilst it lasts, by abbreviating these fibres, straiten the intestine, and so 

 thrust forward what is contained in it, especially if they proved to have a muscular 

 fabric. I afterwards put this to the experiment, which I first made in a portion 

 in the upper intestines of an ox, which, by reason of their largeness of propor- 

 tion to those of most other species of animals, seemed fittest for the trial ; after- 

 wards in those of sheep and calves, beside the repetition of it in oxen, and not 

 only in the smaller intestines, but in the colon and coecum also. The circum- 

 stances and result of which trials are as follow : — 



To effect a due disjunction of the membranes and fibres I caused the in- 

 testines of oxen to be boiled five or six hours, of sheep 4 ; whereby the parts 

 were so loosened, that the two outward coats, viz. the common one, and that 

 consisting of right fibres, were easily separated soon after taken out of the 

 water, leaving those reputed annular ones naked. These at the top of the in- 

 testine I attempted to separate from each other; and when those which had 

 been decurtated by the unequal cutting of the knife, were taken off, I found, 

 first, that I could not separate a single fibre from its fellows to any considerable 

 distance, all of them appearing to be very small, and in the separation running 

 smaller and smaller, and by reason of their implication or stricter cohesion one 

 with another easily breaking; but a congeries of them, which at first view 

 would resemble a pretty large fibre, would without much difficulty rise together ; 

 the very small constituting fibres of which clusters yet, if the boiling had been 

 very long continued, whereby the compages were very much relaxed, would in 

 the raising be very apt to separate from each other, and appear distinct, by 

 reason of their insertions, mentioned below. Secondly, that when beginning 

 at the top, I attempted the separation of one of these supposed annular clusters 

 of fibres towards my right hand, a whole ring would come off together, which 

 at first staggered me as to my forementioned conjecture; but trying it to- 

 wards my left, I found, for the most part, I could easily enough unravel that 

 cluster to a considerable length, viz. that of sometimes more than two or three 

 spans, before breaking, of the whole cluster I mean, which yet at last it would 

 be subject to. For, thirdly, though those convolutions mostly appeared dis- 

 tinct, yet I found that from every one of them at short distances some fibres 

 did obliquely, according to the course of those I have mentioned, insert them- 

 selves into the next convolution, and become a part of it; though some I ob- 

 served to have a contrary tendency, or rather seemed to ascend from the lower 

 to the upper convolution, and help to constitute it, and so to observe the course 

 mentioned; nay, sometimes would go farther than the next convolution, and, 

 running under it, apply themselves obliquely to some higher, which yet being 

 in a smaller number than the rest that lay in the order contrary to them, did 

 VOL. II. Q a 



