OF THE FOETUS. 329 



nourifhes the foetus. At the commencement 

 of growth, the whole mafs floats in the uterus, 

 ■without any adhefion ; and, of courfe, the nou- 

 rifhment can only be conveyed by an abforptiori 

 of the ladieous fluid contained in the uterus. 

 The placenta appears firft to attract this fluid, 

 which it converts into blood, and tranfports by 

 the veins into the foetus. The liquor amnii feems 

 to be nothing but this milky fluid in a purified 

 ftate, the quantity of which is augmented, by a 

 fimilar abiorption, in proportion to the growth 

 of the membranes; and the foetus probably ab- 

 forbs this liquor, which feems to be neceffary for 

 its growth and nourifliment : For, it is worthy 

 of remark, that the foetus, during the firft two 

 Or three months, contains very little blood : It 

 is as white as ivory, and appears like a conge- 

 ries of lymph fomewhat confolidated ; and, as 

 the fkin is tranfparent, and all the parts extreme- 

 ly foft, the body of the foetus may be eafily pe- 

 netrated by the fluid in which it fwims, and thus 

 receive the matter necefl'ary for its growth and 

 expanfion. It may indeed be fuppofed that the 

 foetus afterwards receives nourifliment by the 

 mouth; becaufe we find a liquor, fimilar to that 

 of the amnios, in the ftomach, urine in the blad- 

 der, and meconium, or excrement, in the inte- 

 ftines; and, as neither urine nor meconium ap- 

 pear in the amnios, it is natural to conclude, 

 that no excrements are voided by the foetus, e- 

 fpecially as feme are born without having the 



anus 



