1 obferveH near the paiTiog out of the Medulla Oblongata, 
to the Medulla Spinalis^ a fmall quantity of the Brainy 
the whole might be included in a Walnut- flielL Twas 
coverecf over with a bloody Matter ; At prefent I do 
not well remember whether I did diflinguifli the Cine- 
rkeous and Medullary Subftances here; but thrufting 
down my little Finger thro' the Foramen where the 
Medulla Spinalis pafles ; I obferved a very large Cavity 
ia the hollow of the ^ertehras of the Neck, fo that I 
could turn my Finger round a good compafs there; 
which eafily made me to conclude, that the Brain muft 
be prefled down hither j whichi was the more induced 
to believe, becaufe the Mother informed me, that 
when fee was with Child, flic received a confiderable 
bruife in hjr Belly : I had no opportunity cf making 
more particular Remarks, becaufe, as I faid , the Child 
was to be prefently Buried, and what we did was in the 
fame Room where the other was otherwife I fliould 
have endeavoured to have traced the Nerves, and by 
opening the Ver tehee of the Neck to obferve what 
diftindlions of parts of the Brain I could have difcover- 
ed there. For this large Cavity of the Vertelre, I 
found to be filled with a Subftance hke the Brain or 
Medulla Spinalis^ or both. But far larger than the 
Medulla Spinalis its felf could be in fo fmall an In- 
fant. 
And how far the Medulla Spinalis may anfwer the 
Office of the Brain efpecially in the Embrio's , where 
there is no Exercife of the Senfes, nor the Imaginative 
Faculty , will be no great difficulty to apprehend; fince 
for the Functions of Life in them, the Spirits genera- 
ted even in the Medulla Spinalis (for it has a Giandu- 
lous Subftance too, but inwards) may fuffice. Efpe- 
cially in this Inftance where I do fiippofe a great part 
of the Brain to be detruded (by the bruife the Mo- 
ther 
