2"98 PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTION'S. [aNNO I676 



not very much hinder the dissociation of the main ones : which fibres breaking 

 ofF, and that in some places in greater numbers than in others, would at last 

 cause the whole cluster to break off. — Fourthly, I observed, that as most 

 of these fibres would by degrees, according to the order of the convolutions 

 insert themselves into the next, so some of them would pass over it, and more 

 would run under it, and either adjoin themselves to some more remote, or elude 

 my searching by hiding themselves under them. This insertion of these fibres 

 seems to be the reason of the annular phasis before mentioned, in the contrary 

 way of separation. Fifthly, If I began at a lower part of the intestine, and 

 tried to unravel upwards, there was not much more difiiculty than when, 

 beginning above, I attempted it downwards. — Sixthly, when before boiling I 

 caused the inside of the intestine to be turned outward, as I did in two trials, 

 and afterward by taking off the glandular and vascular coats endeavoured to 

 unravel the fibres, I found they would come ofi^ in the contrary order, viz. from 

 my left hand toward my right ; which, I conceive, confirms the observation 

 above delivered, in regard the intestine being inverted, the order of separation 

 must be so too. — Seventhly, in one of these attempts of unravelling the fibres 

 of the intestine of an ox, so inverted, I found that, though the fibres taken up 

 came off in the order just now mentioned, yet running over some others, they 

 made a more oblique excursion, and for two or three convolutions left between 

 them a considerable area of fibres, amounting to five or six times or more the 

 breadth of those that so came off, till going deeper and deeper among the other 

 fibres, and at last running under them, they could be no longer traced, but 

 brake off. — Eighthly, I found it much more difi5cult to unravel the fibres of 

 the coecum, than the other intestine, which seemed more interwoven than those 

 of the rest, and to have contrary tendencies one among another. 



This is the sum of my observations hitherto concerning this coat, which I 

 take leave to think one concave and helical muscle, if I may so stile it : and that 

 it might be supposed such, the forementioned insertions seemed to evidence, 

 appearing in the separating appositely enough to represent the fabric of a muscle 

 delivered by the accurate Steno. Where the tendons of it are fixed, is not 

 evident ; but, if I may have the liberty to conjecture, I should think the upper 

 of them to be radicated at the pylorus, (since the carneous coat of the stomach 

 being by the learned Dr. Willis found to be a muscular contexture, and there 

 being a continuation of motion between that part and the intestines, it seems to 

 me not altogether improbable they may be but one muscle ;) and the other at 

 the anus.* 



* Notwithstanding Dr. Cole's observations, the fact remains as before j viz. the " supposed an- 

 uular" fibres of the intestines are annular, (or rather falciform) and not spiral. 



