[ 258 1 
could think on no other tolerable folution of the dif- 
ficulty than to conclude, that they belonged originally 
to the calf's fkin ; and, being loofened by macera- 
tion in the liquor amnii, were propelled into, the' 
fiomach and intefiines ; till they were at length en- 
tangled in the meconium. I was confirmed in the 
belief of this by being informed, upon inquiry, that 
the calfs ikin was white; a circumflance unknown 
to me before, it having been fent fiay’d, as bath been 
already faid. 
From this perfuafion it was natural to infer, that 
if hairs loofened from the Ikin ' of the foetus, and 
fioating in the liquor amnii, can find a way into the 
intefiines, and get entangled in the meconium, it is- 
impofilble but the liquor amnii mufi enter and pafs 
through the whole alimentary paflage along with 
them ; as a fluid may certainly penetrate where hairs 
cannot : but no good reafon can be afligned, or even 
conceived, why hairs fiiould be admitted where the 
fluid is excluded. 
The only reafonable fcruple, that remained to be 
got over, was, that this being but a Angle infiance, a 
general conclufion was not to be too hafiily drawn 
from it ; that it was poffible there might be fome 
morbid concretions in the meconium of this particu- 
lar calf, refembling hairs, which concretions in a. 
common and natural \vay might be wanting ; or 
fome preternatural communication between the primae 
yiaj in this fubjedt, and the liquor amnii, not to be 
found in the generality of other foetus’s. 
To obviate all this, and farther to efiablifii and 
illufirate the truth of my conclufion, as infiances like 
that, which we have now related, cannot be com- 
manded, 
