Mifcellanea Curiofa. 193 



again mixt with the Blood, when they might 

 more eafily have been imparted by the plain, fim- 

 plc way of Transfufion from the Arteries of the 

 Mother to the Veins of the Foetus, And, that 

 this is the courfe which Nature takes in this 

 Cafe, I am perfvvaded from the eafinefs and fim- 

 plicity of the Method, which readily performs 

 what might be perhaps in yain expecled from 

 the other, and wou'd over and above find them, 

 what they feem to grope fo blindly about for, a 

 firft Mover of the Blood in a Foetus. 



Thofe that contend for the conveyance of the 

 Nutritious Juice, through the Umbilical Vein from 

 the Placenta, are fore'd upon two Difficulties 

 next to Abfurdities. For firft they are oblig'd 

 to make this Vein, which, as all other Veins, 

 iecms dedicated to the Re-conveyance of Blood 

 only, the proper and immediate Chanel, thro' 

 which a very different Liquour is to be carried j 

 and next, to give a Power of Attraction or Su- 

 ction to it ; becaufe the Nutritious Juice, which 

 it is thus deftin'd to carry, is both vifcous and 

 ftagnant, and has neither force to drive, nor 

 fubtilty to penetrate, or infinuate it felf into the 

 Capillary Veins ; and therefore muft be drawn 

 or fuck'd as Mill^ is from the Breaft, to which 

 the Placenta and its Nutritious Juice are by the 

 Favourers of them exprefly compar'd. But if 

 this were the fole ufe of the Placenta, and Vm- 

 bilical VeJJhls, why were the Umbilical Arteries 

 lent along with the Vein ?, Their bufinefs is 

 not to bring any thing back to the F&tus, ncr 

 can they contribute any thing to the benefit 

 of the Mother ; for the Vterine Arteries bring 

 all to the Placenta, the Umbilical Vein car- 

 ries it to the Foetus , and the Vterine Veins con- 

 O vey 



