SCO Mifiellanea Curiofa. 



There are many Problems of great Teeming 

 Difficulty, the Solutions of which flow naturally 

 from what has been laid down here : But intend- 

 ing to profecute this Subject: farther, and to treat 

 of the Impediments of Refpiration, and the 

 Confequences of Refpiration obftructed or in- 

 termitted, I {hall refer ve them for that Oppor- 

 tunity, and content my (elf here to attempt the 

 Harvey an Problem only, which has given abun- 

 dance of Authors fo much perplexity.' 



That incomparable Philofopher enquires, Why 

 a Foetus, taken out of the Uterus with the Mem- 

 branes intire, /hall live in Water feme Hours with- 

 out communication with the External Air ; whereas 

 if it be taken out andfufferd once to breathy it cant 

 afterwards fur vivo a Moment without the benefit of 

 Refpiration. 



Granting the Fact to be as he has deliver'd it, 

 which yet is not fb in all Cafes, the main Diffi- 

 culty is grounded on a Miftake, which from the 

 (rating of the Queftion I find this Great Man 

 to have fltpt into. For he thinks, that a Foetus 

 is (boner fuffocated after having once breath'd, 

 than if it had not breath'd at all, and that by 

 breathing it had contracted fbmething which 

 render'd it more perifhable. Idem tamen fecundis 

 exutus, (fays he) fi femel aerem intra Pulmones 

 attraxerit 9 pcflea ne momentum quidem temporis 

 abfque eo durare po/fit, fed cenfeflim moriatur. And 

 prefently after, Siquidem confiat 9 fcetum y poflquam 

 cum (emel hauferit, citius fuffocari j quam cum 

 ab illo prorfus acccbatur. The Doctor obferving 

 a Foetus to live longer without Refpiration, and 

 to difpence better with the want of Air while 

 included in the Membranes intire, than it cou'd 

 afterwards j infers thence, that the Air does in 



