t08 PHILOSOPHICAI. TRANSACTIONS. [aNNO 1745/ 



An extraordinary Case of the Bones of a Foetus coming away by the Anus. By 

 John Still Winthorp, Esq. N" 475, p, 304. 



There are several instances of the bones of foetuses, which have died in their 

 mothers' bellies, making their way out by preternatural ways; some by the navel, 

 some by the groin, and some by the anus. Of this last sort is the following in- 

 stance, which happened in New London in New England, in the year 1737. A 

 negro wench was thought to have conceived with child; and about 3 months after, 

 she had some appearances of a miscarriage, but no foetus was observed to come 

 away. This therefore made the good women now alter their opinion ; thinking 

 that she was not with child, but only had not been regular from having taken 

 cold : therefore remedies, proper in such a case, were given her; but she found 

 no relief from exceedingly great pains she complained of, in the bottom of her belly, 

 and in the small of her back, more particularly when she went to stool. Her 

 flesh wasting extremely, a skilful woman was sent for, who found milk in her 

 breasts, and other certain tokens of her being with child. She continued wasting 

 in a miserable condition, growing less in her belly, and her breasts falling, and 

 was at last given over : but at length, at the end of about 8 months, she brought 

 away much blood by stool, on which her pain in those parts abated ; and then she 

 voided with her stools these bones with flesh and rotten skin about them. After 

 this she soon grew well, and quite recovered. All the parts of the foetus were 

 found in her stools, except the head ; which is supposed to have come away by the 

 vagina, when she had the symptoms of miscarrying abovementioned; for it was 

 now recollected, that she then said, something came away with her water as large 

 as a great nut, but it was not then attended to. 



An extraordinary Cystis in the Liver, full of Water. By Charles Jernegan, M.D. 



N° 475, p. 305. 



Mrs. A. B. deceased, aged near 40, had been affected with a constant acute 

 pain on the region of the liver, with a swelling, or more than ordinary fullness 

 on that side ; by pressing of which was perceived a fluctuation of some fluid lying 

 deeper than just under the first teguments. The body was opened by Mr. Sher- 

 wood, junior, when the liver was found of a prodigious size, and there was a small 

 adhesion to the peritonaeum without inflammation: it spread over the stomach 

 quite to the spleen on the left side, and contracted much the cavity of the thorax, 

 by pressing and thrusting up the diaphragma. On opening the great lobe of the 

 liver, there issued out above 4 quarts of a limpid water, from a cavity formed by 

 the proper containing coat of the liver; though the water itself had been contained 

 in a single conglobated gland, and there formed a cystis, which had burst, and 

 was found loose at the bottom of this large cavity. This skin or cystis was not so 

 thin but still capable of further expansion. 



