The LIFE of JOHN SWAMMERDAM. v 
figure of the reciprocal copulation of the hermaphrodite houfe Snail, John 
Baptiftt Van Lamfweerde publifhed in oppofition to this of Swammerdam 
another moft vehement differtation, which he entitled; ‘* An Exfpiration of 
Swammerdam’s Sy{tem of Refpiration;” but this attempt fell {hort of its author’s 
expectation: for though Swammerdam’s book may contain fome things out of 
the way, they will be readily excufed by equitable judges, in confideration of 
the many curious and juft obfervations that are to be met with in every part of 
that work. Another occupation of Swammerdam’s at this time was to blow 
up with air the parts of the body firft properly evacuated and cleanfed, that by 
drying in this fituation they might afterwards retain it, and fo at all times 
afford an opportunity of obferving and defcribing them. This certainly muft 
be allowed one of the moft ufeful inventions in anatomy, as by it we can erect 
and ftiffen parts, which would putrefy on lying one upon another, and which 
if injected with wax would be rendered obfcure and confufed. It was thus 
our author cultivated anatomy with the greateft art and labour, in conjunction 
with the celebrated Van Horne; but a quartan ague, which attacked him this 
year, brought him fo very low, that he found himfelf under a neceflity of 
difcontinuing his anatomical ftudies, which on his recovery he entirely neglected, 
in order to give himfelf up to the ftudy of infects. In the year mpcixviir the 
great duke of Tufcany being then in Holland with Mr. Thevenot, in order 
to fee the curiofities of the country, came to view thofe of our author and his 
father, and furveyed them. with the greateft delight, and his ufual tafte and atten- 
tion for natural hiftory. On this occafion Swammerdam made fome anatomical 
diffections of infects in the prefence of that great prince, who was both a lover 
and a moft fkilful judge of fuch things, and who was ftruck with admiration 
at our author’s great fkill in managing them, efpecially at his proving that 
the future Butterfly lay with all its parts neatly folded up, in a Caterpillar, by 
actually removing the integuments that covered the former, and extricating 
and diftinétly exhibiting all its parts, however minute, with incredible ingenuity, 
and by means of inftruments of an unconceivable finenefs. On this occafion 
his ferene highnefs offered our author twelve thoufand florins for his thare of 
the collection, on condition of his removing them himfelf into Tufcany, and 
coming to live at the court of Florence. In this certainly the prince acted 
very wilely, as thofe curiofities would be in the greateft danger of being loft 
or becoming ufclefs, if not preferved and fhewn by the great genius that had 
collected them, and who was alone capable of {hewing every article, and 
exhibiting them to the greateft advantage; but Swammerdam, who hated a 
court life above all things, rejected his highnefs’s propofal. Befides, he 
could not put up with the leaft reftraint in religious matters, either in point 
of {peech or practice. In the mean time, he had the happinefs of difcovering: 
in the diffetion of an overgrown Acipenfer, a very large panereas, which, by 
difcharging its fluid contents into the firft inteftine through a great many 
{pacious and open-mouthed channels, gave a moft fatisfactory opportunity of 
examining this, at that time, fo famous and much-talked-of fluid, in which, 
on the ftricteft examination, he could difcover no acid tafte, but rather a 
bitterifh ranknefs, refembling that of gaurus, or pickle made of fith. 
This our author affirmed publickly, contrary to what had been before 
advanced by de Graaf and Sylvius. He alfo made fome obfervations in the 
hofpital, but merely as fupplementary additions to his other inquiries ; for he 
now made the nature and properties of infeéts his chief ftudy, and purfued it 
with infinite diligence, and without the leaft relaxation; fo that in the year 
mpDcLx1x, he publithed a general hiftory of them, a work equally remarkable for 
b 
the 
