( 4J8 ) 
^pril 3^. i^pj. I was called to a Woman aged a- 
bout 28 Years, fix Months and a half gone in her third 
Child, (he w^as Feverilb, and raved a little; on Examina- 
tion, I found the Oripciam uteri Internum dilated 
about the largenefs of a Crown ; flie complained of 
Pains in thofe Parts : This, joyned with that of a Fall 
from a Stair about eight days before, determined me 
to alTifl: Nature, which feemed ready to Relieve herfclf 
of that Burthen ; I caufed to be given her fome Ali- 
ment, to prepare her for a Work in which (he (lood in 
need of force, and one Hour after I delivered her hap- 
pily of a Male Child, that lived half an Hour, and re- 
ceived Baptifm y this Child was big and ftrcng, and all 
the Parts of the Body well proportioned, as they ought 
to be naturally, except the Head, the hinder Part where- 
of was flat, as if it had been taken off with the Stroke 
of (bme Weapon, even to the Ox SphanoiJes ; there 
was neither Brain, Cetelellum^ mx Medulla oblongata \ 
the Cavity which ought to contain thefe was very fu- 
perfkial ; I found in their place, a black and livid Sub- 
ftance, covered with a Membrane, which may be the 
Dura and Pia Mater joyned together ; this Subftance 
had coloured the Os petrofum and other Bones of a deep 
fed Colour, I thruft a Stilet or Probe into the Cavity of 
the Vertehres, where ought to be placed the Medulla 
Spinalis^ but found no oppofition ; for in effeA, it was 
filled with a red (linking Liquor, contained in the Mem- 
branes of th^ Medulla Spinalis; the Vifageof this Child 
was a little deform, becaufe of the want of the Crani- 
um^ which might have been communioited to the Bones 
as yet tender,that fuftain'd the Skin of the Face. 
The great Motion of the Eyes of this Child, during 
the time it lived, gave me the Curiofity to fearch the 
Cau(e i I was aflifted by a skilful Anatomift, who was 
furprifed with me, to find nothing in the place of Muf- 
clcs 
