[ 26 i ] 
'ing to their fkln by the moifture on it. Therefore 
in the latter fpecies, hairs from the furface may be, 
and actually are, incorporated with the liquor amnii, 
and along with it enter the mouth and alimentary 
canal, which cannot be the cafe in the former. 
From thefe fadts it is eafy to draw fuch inferences, 
as are fufficient to decide the controverfy, which we 
are treating of ; and prove inconteftably, that the li- 
quor amnii is in a conftant natural way received into 
the mouth, flomach, and inteftines, and therefore 
muft contribute to the nutrition of the foetus. 
For if we attentively confider, that in the meco- 
nium of an human foetus no hairs are found, there 
being no loofe hairs on its Ikin when it is born ; 
that in the meconium of unripe calves there are 
none, before they are of fo long continuance on their 
bodies as to be loofened, and float in the liquor am- 
nii ; whereas in that of the ripe calves they are 
found in great abundance, of the fame colour with 
thofe of the Ikin, as appears by the example we had 
occafion to examine mofl; particularly ; and of fuch 
a length, fliffnefs, and thicknefs, and fo conftantly 
to be met with, as cannot with any fhew of reafon 
be imputed either to morbid concretion, or preter- 
natural frame : If, I fay, all thefe fadts are atten- 
tively confidered, and duly weighed, the conclufion 
I have drawn will, I hope, appear to follow from 
them fo naturally, that no candid and intelligent in- 
quirer will call its truth in queftion, 
Postscript. 
After I had gone ' thus far upon my own bottom, 
and while I was looking about me, in order to pick 
up 
