V. Fart of a Letter from Dr. Cyprianus to Dr. 
Sylvefire, giving an Account of a Child born 
with a large Womd in the Bre^y fuppofedta 
proceed from the for^e of Imagination. 
AMongft fome other Extraordinary Accidents which 
have offered thenfifelves to me, fince my coming 
home, there is one, I think, is worth your knowing. 
It is, that a Lady is brought to bed of a Girl, 
with a Wound in her Breaft above four Fingers long ; 
which obliquely from the top downwards, from the 
Sternum to the I^ft fide, flretched it (elf over the 
whole Breaft. Being fent for there, I found not only 
the Wound outwardly in the Skin, but after a nearer ex- 
amination I perceived, that it not only penetrated to 
the Mufculi intercoftales^ but that it was at leaft an 
Inch broad, hollow under the Flelh round about the 
Wound: Befides, that there was a Contufion with a 
little Swelling (Red and Blew, as is ufed to be in Con- 
tufions) at the lower partaf the Wound in the infide. 
Before I go on farther with thfs Hifl:ory, firft I will 
tell you, this Lady had an eafie and natural Delivery, 
and that it was ^ natural birth , and that the Child 
came into the World without any force, fo that confe- 
quently it got not this Wound in its Birth, but was 
occafioned by ftrength of Imagination, about two 
Months before the Mother was gone to Bed, by chance 
flie heard a Report , that a Man had murthered his 
Wife,and with aKnife had given her a great Wound in her 
Breafl,at which Relation Ihe changed^but not exceffively. 
Now my Opinion is, That the Child at that very 
moment that the Mother was affrighted, received the 
Wound in its Mothers Body, becaufe that the Wound 
was very fordid ; and the infide as well as the outfide 
befet with Slime, proceeding from the Water wherein 
the 
