Mifcellanea Curiofa. 10 1 



the firft Act of Infpiration imprefs upon the 

 Lungs forne quality, which renders it ever af- 

 ter more indifpenfably neceffary. But allowing 

 his Obfervation, I muft yet deny his Inference 

 to be good : For deprive a Foetus of means of re- 

 tiring, and then take it out of the Membranes, 

 and it (hall be as (bon fuffocated , as if it 

 had refpired before. This proves, that this ne- 

 ceflity of intercourfe with the Air, by way of 

 the Lungs, is not the Offspring, but the Pa- 

 rent of Refpiration, and that, that Learned Man 

 Was drawn into a Fallacy of Non caufa po 

 caufa. 



The Reafbn of this Neceffity is the preffure 

 of the External Air upon the Surface of the Bo- 

 dy, from which it was defended by the Interpo- 

 fition of the Membranes, and the Humours con- 

 tain'd, which are not fb comprelTible as the Bo- 

 dy of the Foetus it felf. So foon therefore as the 

 Fast us is excluded, and expos'd to the immedi- 

 ate contact of the ambient Atmofphere, the Vef- 

 fels and all the Cavities of the Body muft ne- 

 ceffarily be fo comprefs'd, that the Fluids can't 

 have room for motion, and confequently the 

 Foetus could have no Life, if Nature had not con- 

 triv'd by the motion of the Thorax to remove 

 and admit that preffure alternately, and there- 

 by to imprefs a motion on the Fluids, which is 

 the Spring of Life. But this motion of the 

 Thorax being any way fupprefs'd, the equal 

 preffure of the Atmofphere on all parts, occa- 

 fions a total Ceffation of motion , which is 

 Death. 



I fhall profecute this Subject no farther now, 

 nor trouble the Reader with any Apology, for 

 diffenting from thofe Great Men herein named ; 



becaufe. 



