OF THE FOETUS. ^ig 



may, therefore, conclude, that the bended po- 

 flure of the foetus is natural, and not the effect 

 of reftraint. I am inclined to think, with 

 Harvey, that the foetus takes this pofture, be- 

 caufe it is moft favourable to reft and deep ; 

 for all animals bend their bodies when they want 

 to repofe themfelves, or to lleep : And, as the 

 foetus fleeps almoft continually, it naturally af- 

 fumes this advantageous pofition. ' Certe,' fays 

 this celebrated anatomift, ' animalia omnia, dum 

 ' quiefcunt et dormiunt, membra fua ut pluri- 



* mum adducunt et complicant, figuramque o- 



* valem ac conglobatam quaerunt : Ita pariter 



* embryones, qui aetatem iuam maxime fomno 



* tranfigunt, membra fua pofitione ea qua plaf- 

 ' mantur (tanquam naturaliifima ac maxime in- 



* dolenti quietique aptilllma) componunt ''^\' 



The uterus, as formerly remarked, grows 

 very quickly after pregnancy ; and it continues 

 to increaie proportionally with the foetus. But 

 the growth of the foetus at laft exceeds that of 

 the uterus ; and it is natural to think, that the 

 foetus, v.'hen near maturity, is too much con- 

 fined, and agitates the uterus by repeated mo- 

 tions. The mother feels tliefe fuccelhve efforts, 

 which are called periodic pains, after the la- 

 bour of child-bearing commences. The more 

 force the foetus exerts in order to dilate the u- 

 terus, it finds an increafed refiftance trom the 

 natural elafticity of the parts. Hence every ef- 

 fort 



* Harvey de General, p. 25 j. 



