OF THE FOETUS. 321 



may be afcrlbed to to the feparation of the pla- 

 centa : It adheres to the uterus by the Infertions 

 of a number of fmall papillae. May we not, 

 therefore, fuppofe that thefe papillae feparate 

 not from their cavities all at once ; and that the 

 fucceffive feparation of thefe papillae gives rife, 

 at different intervals, to the frclli acccffions of 

 pains ? Here the effed: perfedly corrcfponds 

 with the caufe ; and this conjedure may be fup- 

 ported by another remark : Immediately before 

 delivery, there ilfues out a vifcous whitifh li- 

 quor, fmiilar to that which flows from the pa- 

 pillae of the placenta, when torn from the ute- 

 rus. It is therefore extremely probable, that 

 this liquor, which ilfues from the uterus, is pro- 

 duced by the feparation of fome of the papillae 

 of the placenta. 



It fometimes happens, that the foetus efcapes 

 from the uterus without burfting the membranes, 

 and, confequently, without difcharging the li- 

 quor they contain. This fpecies of birth feems 

 to be the mod natural, and is fimilar to that of 

 moft animals. The human foetus, however, 

 commonly pierces the membranes, by the rc- 

 fiftance it meets with at the orifice of the uterus : 

 And fometimes a part of the amnios, and even 

 of the chorion, is brought away adhering to the 

 head of the child like a cap. As foon as the 

 membranes are pierced or torn, the liquor, 

 which is called the ivaters^ runs out, and, by 

 lubricating the vagina and orifice of the uterus, 

 facilitates the paffage of the child. After the 



Vol. If. X ' difcharge 



