FORMATION of the human FŒTUS.

doubtful, and all the features of the
face are now diftinguishable: The body is
delineated, the hips and the belly elevated,
the members are formed, the toes and
the fingers are feparated from one an-
other, the fkin is extremely thin and
transparent, the bowels are already point-
ed out by a bundle of fibres, the veffels A
are as fmall as threads, the membranes
extremely loofe, the bones are as yet
foft, it being only in fome parts that
they have began to be a little folid,
the veffels which are to compofe the
navel-ftring are as yet in a right line
along fide of one another, and the pla-
centa covers no more than a third of the

whole mafs, whereas at first it covered B
a half; from whence it appears that the
increase of its fuperficies has not been
fo great as that of the fœtus and the reft
of the mafs, but it has greatly increased
in its folidity, its thicknefs being become
much greater in proportion than that
which wraps up the foetus, and we may
already diftinguish the two membranes C
of which this wrapper is compofed.

According to Hippocrates the male fcetus grows fafter than the female: He pretends, that at the end of 30 days all the parts of the body of the male are apparent, but that thofe of the female are not fo until after the 42d day.

In fix weeks the foetus is near two inches in length, the human form begins to be perfected, only the head is bigger in proportion than the other parts of the body, and about the fame time the heart may be perceived to move: It has been feen to beat in a foetus of 50 days old, and even continue to beat for a pretty while after the foetus has been taken out of the womb of the mother.

In two months the foetus is above two inches in length, and the offification at the middle of the bones of the arms, thighs and legs is become fenfible, as alfo at the point of the lower jaw, which is then extended a good deal farther than the upper jaw. Thefe offifications may as yet be faid to be but points of bone; but by the effect of a more quick growth the breast bones are entirely offified, the navel ftring is formed, and the veffels of which it is compofed begin to turn and twift themfelves almoft in the fame manner as the threads of which a rope is compofed; but this ftring is as yet very short in comparison of what it comes to be afterwards.

In three months the foetus is three inches long, and about three ounces in weight. Hippocrates fays, that about this time the mother begins to be fenfible of the motions of a male foetus, and he

Feb.

afferts, that the motions of the female do not become fenfible before the end of the 4th month. Nevertheless, fome women have faid that they have begun to be fenfible of the motions of their child from the beginning of the fecond month, but upon this head it is very difficult to arrive at any certainty, the fenfations which the motions of the foetus excite, depending at first, perhaps, more upon the fenfibility of the mother, than upon the ftrength of the foetus.

Four months and a half after conception, the length of the foetus is from fix to feven inches: All the parts of the body are then fo much increased, that we may eafily diftinguish them from one another, and the nails appear both upon the fingers and toes. The teflicles of the male are inclofed in the belly just above the kidneys: The ftomach is full of a thickih liquor, pretty like to that which is inclofed in the amnium: In the fmall guts we find a milky fubftance, and in the large a fubitance which is black and liquid. There is a little bile in the gall, and a little urine in the bladder. As the fœtus floats freely in the liquor that furrounds it, there is every where a distance between its body and the membranes in which it is wrapt up: These wrappers at first grow fafter than the foetus, but after a certain time the contrary happens: D The foetus grows in proportion faster than the wrappers, fo that it may touch them with the extremities of its members, from whence it may be thought, that it is forced to draw or fold up the members of its body.

E

F

G

Before the end of the third month the head is bent forewards, the chin resting upon the breaft; the knees are raifed, the legs folded backwards and often croffed, and the point of the foot turned upwards and close to the thighs, in fuch a manner that the two heels are very near one another. Sometimes the knces are raised fo high as almost to touch the cheeks, the legs are folded under the thighs, and the fole of the foot is always turned backwards: The arms hang downwards and are folded upon the breaft, and one of the hands, fometimes both, touch the face: They are fometimes hut; and alfo the arms are fometimes hanging down at full length by the fides of the body.

The foetus puts itfelf afterwards in poftures different from thefe: When it is near its birth, and even a long while before, it has ufually the head downwards, and its face turned towards its mother's back, but it is natural to fuppofe, that it often changes its posture. Ex

I

1753. Account of the GEN11, a new Entertainment.

Experienced midwives have pretended to
be certain, that it changes its posture
much oftener than is commonly thought.
This may be proved by feveral obferva-
tions; as, r. We often find the navel-
ftring twisted and turned round the body
and limbs of the child, in fuch a man-
ner as neceffarily implies, that the foetus A
has moved every manner of way, and
that it has fucceffively put itfelf in pof-
tures very different from one another,
2. The mothers feel the motions of the
fœtus fometimes upon one fide of the
womb, and fometimes upon the other,
and perceive it to ftrike with equal force
against feveral different parts; from
whence we muft fuppofe, that it puts
itfelf into different fituations. 3. As it
fwims in a liquid with which it is on
every fide furrounded, it may very easily
turn or extend itself, or bend itfelf, by
its own proper strength; and also it must
be in different fituations, according to
the different attitudes of the body of
the mother; for example, when the lies, C
the foetus must be in a different fitua-
tion from that in which it is, when the
ftands.

B

69

An Account of the new Entertainment, called the GENII, now afting at the TheatreRoyal in Drury-Lane.

FTER a pretty overture the rifing

A curtain difcovers the fcene of a grove,

fuppofed to be formed by enchantment : It confifts of leafy wings, intermixed with flowers forming arches, and terminates with an extenfive continuation ; the top of the fame compofition with the fides; four fpirits in Arabian dresses lean against the wings; from the lower end enters Harlequin in the dress of an Arabian prince, the outside of the fame party-coloured ftuff, as ufual, and lined with filver tiffue; a turban, richly fancied, adorns his head, and, his hand guiding a wand, he walks melancholy to the front of the ftage; a little winged genius, cloathed in blue and filver, endeavours by perfuafions to difpel his gloom, and for a means recommends beauty. At a wave of his little wand, four genii, who had been in fearch of a proper object for their mafter's love, fly down with pictures; he addreffes himself to them, and felects one; the genii then fly up, and his particular genius advifes him, in fearch of that fair one, to mix among mankind, and exert his magick power; a dance of thefe four fpirits is then introduced as to divert his melanchoD ly, and Monf. Ferrere reprefenting another joins them; Harlequin appears divefted of his ftate, and in his usual form difmiffes his fprites.

The greatest part of anatomifts have thought, that the foetus is forced to bend its body, and to fold its limbs, because it is too much confined in its wrapper; but to me this opinion feems to be without foundation, for there is, especially during the first five or fix months, a great deal of more room than is neceffary for the foetus to extend itself, and yet in this very time it is bent and folded: We likewife fee that a chick is bent in the liquor contained in the Amnium, even at the time when that membrane is large enough, and that liquor plentiful enough, for E containing a body of five or fix times the bigness of the chicken. Therefore

we may believe, that this bended and folded pofture into which the fœtus puts its body is natural, and not at all conftrained; and I am inclined to be of the fame opinion with Harvey, who contends, that the only reafon for the fœtus's being in this attitude, is because it is most convenient for rest and sleep; for all animals put themfelves in this position, in order to repofe themselves and go to fleep; and as the foetus is almoft always afleep in the womb of its mother, it naturally puts itself into the moft convenient pof ture for that purpose.

F

Our author adds a great deal more for G explaining the manner and the causes of the birth; but as this would be tedious, and is proper only for midwives, I fhall add no more, but that

I am, &c,

A fcene of a fumptuous street prefents; the genius brings in Harlequin, and points to him the houfe his fair one inhabits; Harlequin knocks; the fervant enters, refufes him admittance; a post-man brings letters to the houfe, and, while the fervant is reading the fuperfcription, Harlequin, who ftands behind the post-man, difrobes himself, and, faftening his cloaths to him, the poft-man finks, and leaves Harlequin in his habit, who as fuch is admitted.

We next fee a hall; two tables covered with trunks and cloaths; the beauty enters attended with a fervant, and prefently her father; from their dreffes we may conclude them Polanders. The father, who is a kind of Pantaloon, wears purple fattin, edged with fable fur; the daughter (whom for the future we call Colombine) appears in yellow; her cloak, and each of the falls of her petticoat, are edged with white fur, the maid blue edged with black. The Pantaloon, packing up his cloaths, feems to have forgot fomething, and exits for it; mean while, the fervant brings in Harlequin as the post

70

Account of the GENII, a new Entertainment. Feb.

poft-man, he gives letters, looks with rapture on Colombine, who goes out, and is followed by Harlequin.

A fine chamber with a large lookingglass and pictures feeming in the fame houfe; Colombine enters, followed by her lover in his own drefs; the feems thy, and rejects his fuit, till mufick play- A ing in the air engages her attention, which is yet heightened by the voice of the genius, who from above urges her to Ay with Harlequin; which as they do, the genius cries" too late." Pantaloon entering forces Harlequin to run through the wainscot, which now appears full of books; Pantaloon gives Colombine to the care of her mother.-The next scene is a street, through which Harlequin is purfued, who, to avoid his purfuers, enters a beautiful garden; an arbour fronts the ftage, covered with flowers, and among which a multitude of fun-flowers ftrike the eye. Harlequin being forced into the arbour, it turns into an elegant hmonger's shop, and he appears the C mafter. Pantaloon, miffing Harlequin, comes to buy fish; many real ones are produced, fome of which he buys; and, going out, his fervant follows, after having been fufficiently bit by the nofe by the lobster's claw, and made almost drunk in recompence by the fishmonger, who, putting the marketting in a tray, follows.

furies, who bringing in four female partners form in a dance; monfieur Devife and madam Augufte, as the two principal, join them in dresses richly adorned; the genius goes out with Harlequin to try fome means of gaining her.

Pantaloon is feen croffing the stage as going to another house, in the inside of which is difcovered a new chamber scene; an old man, an old woman, their fon and daughter, are drinking of coffee, a fervant waiting; the young one in fcarlet edged with fur, making a fop, even in that country, feems to be designed to marry Colombine; her father enters, they all feem to agree and go out to execute B the writings, leaving Blakes and his man ; after fome difplay of foppery, a cafe is brought, from whence is drawn out an enormous muff, and through the cafe iffues a figure dreffed just like the fop, though in miniature; and from the black face, we may fuppofe it to be either Harlequin contracted to the ftature of a child, or elfe his faithful genius; the fop fees him, is frighted, and, after beholding each other they draw and engage, the little fop eluding all his paffes; Pantaloon enters, and cannot see the little one, who ftill terrifies the fop; they exit and cross the street, and enter Colombine's chamber; Colombine and her intended spouse are feated on each fide a table, on which, when he would address her, the little fop appears and frightens him : Pantaloon entering, he abfconds behind Colombine's petticoats, and, as the fop would kiss her, ftill ftares in his face, and at length runs off with her.-Next, a purfuit; then behold a brick-kiln, brickmakers at work; Harlequin and Colombine enter and bribe the men, who, on the entry of the purfuers, befmear them with the clay, to elude their fearch. Harlequin, pulling off his dress, appears in that of a reaper, and the brick-kiln turns to a field of real barley, the flat scene continuing the view; fome reapers are at work, who reap and gather into real fheaves, and Colombine, quite like a rural maid, gleans after them; they all exit, and in a street the purfuers enquire of a carpenter carrying a deal; he points them out. Now drops a scene, containing a rural profpect, which exceeds any landskip yet fhewn on the ftage, a leather bottle hung out, the fcene rifes and leaves them in a field, where they all dance, till Pantaloon and the reft croffing put them in diforder. After fome pursuits, we fee a wood-yard, piles of deals, and a wharf with water running by; Pantaloon fpies them there, comes to them and by the help of Harlequin, the wood

The chamber is difcovered, Colombine is locked in by her mother, Pantaloon is followed by the clown and fishmonger; Colombine feeing his habit under his apron rejoices, and, while the father goes for his purfe to pay for the fish, escapes with him; Pantaloon returns, and, expreffing great diforder, follows; after calling the maid and other little incidents, E another pursuit of both Harlequin and Colombine, who cross the street and enter a tavern built of marble, defigned and executed in an extraordinary manner; a fumptuous fide board of china, &c. and, on a table, an elegant entertainment is fet, for fome of which Harlequin bargains, and fends the mistress out, but The returning informs them of the fa- F ther just entering; the tavern is hereupon transformed into a water-mill with real water; Harlequin comes in like the miller; Colombine, looking inadvertently out of the window, is feized and carried off.

The ftreet is next, and Colombine is forced along, and put fafe into the houfe. G

We next behold a fcene of cragged Yocks, Harlequin, now despairing for his miftrefs, lies on the ground; his faithful genius heartens him, reminds him of his magick power, and, to amufe, raifes four

yard

1753.

Of the ART of refining SILVER.

yard fhews you Westminster-bridge, with
all the profpect through the arches; they
crofs it feveral times, and, not fucceeding,
they come to the houfe of a conjurer,
whom he employs to aid them, but all
in vain. Colombine is difcovered with
Harlequin, the languishing falls on the
ground, the genius enters to them, and A
tells them danger is near; they exit,
and the purfuers entering are led by aerial
mufick caused by the genius, till they come
so the scene of rocks; there Harlequin
and Colombine are feated on a pile of
them, but foon afcend in a fofa, that
was before hid by the craggy rocks; the
fcene is hereupon changed to the palace
of Harlequin, who now appears in all
his grandeur, difmiffes his rival with a
frown, but retains Pantaloon with great
courtesy; they feat themfelves and are
entertained with a dance of fpirits, mon-
fieur Ferrere at their head; and Panta-
loon, giving his confent, closes the enter-
tainment.

B

I must here reconfider the laft fcene, C which beggars all defcription; the most romantick Eaftern account of fumptuous palaces are but faint to this difplay of beauty, this glow of light, this profufion of glittering gems, which adorn the whole, and much exceeds all expectation.

The INSPECTOR, in his Paper of Jan. 30, pursues bis Subject relating to D the Gold and Silver LACE Trade, (see p. 35.) and treats of the Art of refining Silver.

F it be enquired, fays he, whether I there is a gumibility of rendering fil

F

ver, from whatsoever ore, perfectly pure,
I am most certain that there is. If it be
farther afked, whether the French obtain
the advantage they have over us, from E
the use of the Indian filver only, or from
their poffeffing this fecret of refining in a
greater degree of perfection; it is not eafy
to speak with fo much certainty, but
moft probably it is from the latter caufe ;
they are in general better chemifts than
the English; and there is this farther fup-
port of that opinion, that we know they
have often bought of our own refiners,
that very filver, of which they have made
thofe laces, fo fuperior in quality. I make
no question but there is a poffibility of
rendering any filver pure; of refining it
fo perfectly as to take off all falfe tinges,
and all accidental occafions of tarnish, or
in properer words, of ruft; even that
blue caft, to which the English filver ex- G
tracted from lead has always hitherto been
liable, not excepted; and as the fciences,
altho' they have been the foundation of
the arts, have not been properly applied
to their improvement, nor are in general

understood by those who practife the lat ter; I shall call in what little knowledge the experiments I have made in metallurgick chemistry may have given me, to the affiftance of one of them in our own kingdom, which is undoubtedly at this time better practifed by others.

It is not without pleasure I fee a new fet of refiners attempting improvements in the profeffion. Their attempt feems to have fucceeded fo far as to produce filver of a better colour than the ordinary kind, but more harth: It is not difficult perhaps to difcern from this, what is the process by which these artists have made the improvement; but if they lofe ductility while they gain colour, they throw away on one hand what they get on the other. Perhaps what I fhall add on this occafion, may point them out a remedy to this objection, and they are not to be difpleafed if, in return, their fecret be accidentally thrown open, among the methods I fhall name for the improvement of the art of refining in England. Let us once lay down the method of rendering filver abfolutely pure, and the French will not long excel us in their metal; nor will our own refiners any more complain of the uncertainty of their processes, or that they are not able at any time to make two bars exactly of the fame colour.

I am perfectly uninformed of the method which they ufe at prefent; it is probably a fecret of their art, which they keep to themselves: What I shall advance is from experiments, which have been made with my own hands, in fmall quantities, but they may be easily extended to larger: And if thofe gentlemen will make a trial of fuch as are new to them, they will probably find the advantage.

With regard to the production of filver from its feveral ores, the method varies according to their different nature: That which is naturally pure, and in large flakes and threads, requires only melting to feparate any quantity of ftony or other matter about it: This is effected by the fame degree of fire which melts gold; and the metal thus produced is perfectly white, foft, and ductile. When the fame pure native metal is fcattered in the ore in leffer particles, quickfilver is put to it; this takes up the filver, and is afterwards diftilled off, and the remaining metal purified by fire. These are the methods of obtaining the Indian filver. Where the ore is loaded with ftony and other fubftances, and arfenick and fulphur have penetrated the metal and changed its appearance, it is powdered, and lead is added; it is then put into the fire; the fulphur and arfenick burn away, and the

stones

72

OBSERVATIONS on the Pruffian MEMORIAL.

ftones are changed into a kind of glass : The filver is thus received into the lead and is to be feparated afterwards by burning that lead away. This is the method ufed with the Hungarian and Norway ores, and it is plain that it reduces the metal to the fame ftate with that which is extracted originally from lead in Eng- A land. Lastly, when there are earths and other foulneffes in the are, glass of lead is added, and this has the fame effect. is by one or other of thefe ways that most of the filver is feparated from the European ores. They are therefore all, more or lefs, under the fame disadvantage with that from the English lead ores prove in effect all bad in colour. Hence B and they the reafon appears why the Indian filver is preferable.

It

This is the original difference of filver from its feveral ores, but this might be all fet afide in the refining: We are therefore to enquire how this is done, and how it may be done. The common method is by a ftrong fire encreased by a continual blowing, and by the addition of lead. This is an eafy way, and it refines a great deal at a time; but instead of mending, it encreases the difadvantage with regard to the lace trade; for lead is the thing of all others to be avoided.

Feb.

is finished; it is to be taken off the fire,
and the filver is abfolutely pure.

This is not a method for vast quantities,
but all that is ufed for the wire trade
might be thus prepared: And there would
be then no fault at the door of the refiner,

Obfervations on the PRUSSIAN MEMORIAL,
concerning the SILESIA LOAN. (Seep.4.)
From the London-Evening-Poft.

SIR,

A
S the ftoppage of payment of the
emperor's loan by his Pruffian ma-
jefty is a publick concern, and may be
will not be amifs to confider his Pruffian
attended with very bad confequences, it
majesty's reafons for fo doing; and how
far it has the colour of juftice, and where
it is inconfiftent with reafon.

His Pruffian majefty fays, "It is a rule
founded both on reafon and upon the
law of nations, that when a fovereign de-
juftice which he is required and folicited
nies the fubjects of another fovereign that
to render them, or when he does not do
them due juftice; as well that fovereign,
a: his fubjects, are anfwerable for it in
their own fpecial and perfonal name.
Grot, de Jur. Bell. & Pac. This princi-
ple of the law of nations is founded on
natural reafon, because the subjects are
Dreign, and fubfcribe to his judgment :
held to approve of the acts of their fove-

Silver will be excellently refined by only melting it with fourth part dered nitre, in a covered crucible; this of powpurifies it from every thing but gold: If there fhould have been any of this metal in it, it is easy to feparate afterwards. The filver refined by this method will be of a perfect white colour, but harsh. This fault however is to be remedied by only melting again in an open crucible, fprinkling a little more nitre over it. E Thus it becomes tough and mellow, as well as white. If this be judiciously done, all the tinge of the lead is burnt off, and will be found at the top in a bluish gloffy drofs.

I fhall close this paper with one method more, which I have found to produce a filver fo perfectly pure, that no defect can be charged upon it; and by which the

F

metal, from whatfoever ore, will be the fame. Silver, after it has been refined in the common way, is to be diffolved in aqua fortis: Some common fal armoniack is to be melted in water, and this must be poured on the diffolution. The aqua fortis on this lofes its power, and the filver falls to the bottom in form of powder. G This powder is to be boiled in water feveral times; then dried and put into a crucible; half its weight of powdered falt of tartar is to be put over it: As foon the whole is well melted, the process

Whence it naturally follows, that they are anfwerable for it; and that when all other means are wanting, recourfe must be had to their private properties."-Now if we can poffibly fuppofe, that a British court of admiralty have unjustly, and contrary goods and merchandize of his Pruffian to the law of nations, condemned all the majesty's fubjects, as complained of, then the reafons of his Pruffian majesty do fo far feem to be right; for it is both juftice, and the common method of proceeding of all powers, to make reprifals on the fubjects of each other, whenever the fubjects of one are injured by those of another: And therefore, if the feizures

complained of were illegal, there is no doubt but his Pruffian majesty has a right to make reprifals. But then, what his Pruffian majefty afferts, that he may make fuch reprifals, by ftopping the payment of the loan on Silefia, without breaking the treaties of Breslau and Dresden, is not even, by his own arguments, fully cononly contrary to common sense, but is futed.

His majefty fays, "It is difficult to comprehend the meaning of the English miniftry, when they pretend, that England will think herself difengaged from

the

J