Vol. XIII.] PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 607 



uteri and vagina, out of the body, and laid them on a paper to dry ; I found 

 from each cornu, to the end of the spermatic vessels which I had preserved, 

 that they measured about four feet. I opened the cornua uteri, and found them 

 turgid with a milky juice ; having placed a little of it on a small microscope, I 

 plainly perceived it was nothing else but an infinite number of small eggs ; 

 though, to the naked eye, it appeared only as a fluid body. These eggs when 

 fresh, appeared, as is represented in fig. 13, pi. I9, covered with abundance of 

 small asperities; but as they grew dry their surface appeared smooth. By com- 

 paring that small quantity I did observe, in which I could distinguish so many 

 eggs, with the whole substance contained in both the cornua, I guess there 

 must be more than 1000 eggs in each female worm. 



How far different this worm is from common earth-worms as to these parts, 

 I need only to refer to Dr. Willis's figures and account of it, to show. And I 

 am yet to learn what worm out of the body has these organs thus formed. 

 When once there, tlie case is plain how they propagate themselves. And Men- 

 jotius, and all before him, that were of that opinion, are mistaken, who say that 

 these worms do not generate; nor have any distinction of sexes. Hippocrates 

 is express, «i jw.fi/ a-r^oyyvXon r/xTao-*. And I think nothing can be plainer than 

 this distinction of sexes in them. 



But I find on the other hand, there are many who do not only allow them to 

 generate, but make them viviparous too. Thus P. Borellus tells us, Vermem 

 crassum ab hominis corpore eductum, forteque pedibus exenteratum, non sine 

 admiratione vidi vermiculis innumeris refertum esse. So Amatus Lusitanus tells 

 much such a story ; that a girl voiding a large worm, and the father treading 

 on it, ex eo alii prodierunt vermes. And Felix Platerus gives an observation 

 of a boy that was hydropical, and voided all his excrements upwards ; who dying 

 in the hospital, and they observing a motion and palpitation in his belly, were 

 afraid to bury him till they had sent for the doctor. He opening him found 

 the intestines in some places swelled as large as his thigh ; in others so con- 

 voluted, intorted, and twisted, that hindered any passage downwards, either of 

 excrements or wind ; Sed et vermibus vivis quamplurimis repleta erant, qui rursum 

 aliis minoribus referti. You may see an instance likewise de vermibus foetis in 

 Salmuth Cent. 3. Obs. 24. But Dominicus Panarolus is very express; and tells 

 us, he observed it thus in two several persons; In utroque expuisi fuerunt 

 vermes colore carneo, longitudine circa sexdecim digitos, qui praegnantes 

 erant, et ligno collisi cum fuissent, apparuerunt vermes parvi, subfiles, albi, 

 longitudine sex digitorum, prope innumeri, qui tanquam serpentes parvi move- 

 bantur. But whatever is related of this nature, I cannot but think it is a mis- 

 take; and that they were imposed on by the genital parts of this worm ; which 



