Mifiellanea Curioja. 191 



nkate with the External Air through feveral 

 Spir acuta or Vent-holes, to which are fatten ci fo 

 many little Trachea or Wind-pipe^ which thence 

 find their Branches to all the Mufcles and Vi« 

 fcera, and ieem to accompany the Blood-Veffels 

 all over the Body, as they do in the Lungs,. on« 

 ly of perfect Animals. By this difpofition in 

 every Infpiration, the whole Body of thefe little 

 Animals is inflated, and in every Expiration 

 comprefs'd \ and confequently the Blood-Veffels 

 muft fuffer a ficijjitude of Extension and Con- 

 traction, and a greater motion muft thereby 

 be imprefc'd upon the Fluids contain'd in them, 

 than the Heart, which does not in thofe Crea- 

 tures appear to be Mufcular, feems capable of 

 giving. 



The only Animal that is exempted from this 

 neceflary condition of Breathing, or receiving and 

 expelling alternately fome Fluid into and out of 

 the Body, is a Foetus, But this, while included 

 in the Womb, has little more than a vegetative 

 Life, and ought fcarce to be reckon'd among 

 the number of Animals. For, were it not for 

 that (mall Chare of Mufcular Motion, which it 

 exercifes in the Womb, it might without abfur- 

 dity be accounted for as a Graft upon, or Branch 

 of the Mother. 



Concerning the immediate Matter, and Means 

 of Life, and Nutrition, Authors are not a- 

 greed, nor is it the buiinefs of this place to 

 reconcile, or decide their Differences, but to 

 account for the Motion of the Blood through 

 the Veffels only. In order to this, it will be 

 neceflary to obferve, that the Puliation of the 

 Heart in a Foetus is fo very weak and ob/cure, 

 and the Motion of the Blood fo extream flow 



and 



