(3) The _third_ thing which makes up the secundine in the alantois, of
which there is a great dispute amongst anatomists. Some say there is
such a thing, and others that there is not. Those who will have it to be
a membrane, say it is white, soft and exceedingly thin, and just under
the placenta, where it is knit to the urachos, from which it receives
the urine; and its office is to keep it separate from the sweat, that
the saltness of it may not offend the tender skin of the child.
(4) The _fourth_, and last covering of the child is called amnios; and
it is white, soft and transparent, being nourished by some very small
veins and arteries. Its use is, not only to enwrap the child, but also
to retain the sweat of the child.
Having thus described the parts proper to a child in the womb, I will
next proceed to speak of the formation of the child therein, as soon as
I have explained the hard terms of the section, that those for whose
help it is designed, may understand what they read. A _vein_ is that
which receives blood from the liver, and distributes in several branches
to all parts of the body. _Nerve_ is the same with _sinew_, and is that
by which the brain adds sense and motion to the body. _Placenta_,
properly signifies _sugar_ cake; but in this section it is used to
signify a spongy piece of flesh resembling a cake, full of veins and
arteries, and is made to receive a mother's blood appointed for the
infant's nourishment in the womb.
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