The natural history of animals containing the anatomical description of several creatures dissected, by the Royal academy of sciences at Paris ... / Done into English by a fellow of the Royal society [Alexander Pitfield] ; to which is added an account of the Measure of a degree of a great circle of the earth, published by the members of the same Academy : English'd by R.W. [i.e. Richard Waller].

  • Académie des sciences (France)
Date:
1702
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The natural history of animals containing the anatomical description of several creatures dissected, by the Royal academy of sciences at Paris ... / Done into English by a fellow of the Royal society [Alexander Pitfield] ; to which is added an account of the Measure of a degree of a great circle of the earth, published by the members of the same Academy : English'd by R.W. [i.e. Richard Waller]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    _ _ ' 4. _ ing unfolded, it contained fourteen Inches, whereas before, it had,but four. This Ductus did not feem to proceed from the Tejlicle, but only from the Kid¬ ney to which it was faftned. Having made an Inje&iofr of a coloured Li¬ quor into this Ductus, a great many other little Dutftts1 s were made to rife; which did not appear before, and which went from the TcJticle to the Epidi¬ dymis : Thele Ductuss being enclofed in the Membrane which retained the Circumvolutions of the Epididymis, and which faftned it to the TcJticle. The Bladder was of an extraordinary bignefs. There was found in it a- bove twelve pounds of clear lympid Urine : Anjlotle tells us that the Sex-Tor- toifc has the Bladder very large, and the Land-Tor toife very final]. Never- thelefs ours was a Lmd-Tortoife: And in the Diffection which we have made of fbveral Water-Tor toifes^ we have always found their Bladder a great deal lefs in proportion than that which we do Treat of. This makes us to think that there is an Errour in the Text of Anjlotle, by the tranfpofition of die words Terrejlul and Murine; feeing that the Reafon which Anjiotle alledges for the greatnefs of the Bladder of Tortoifes, does not well conclude to make us clearly underftand that the Terr eft ixlought to have it Ids than the others; For he fays, that Tortoifes not being covered with a Skin, whole Pores, can aflift in that Tranfpiration, which in other Animals confumes a part of the Molfture of the Body, and greatly diminifhes the matter of the Urine ; this Animal muft necelfarily have a great Receptacle for thele Moiftures, which the thicknefs and hardnefs of the Shell retains and includes; But he lay’s not that the Shell of Sex-Tortoifes is thicker than that of the Land, nor that they do drink more: And according to Ariftotle* s Reafbning, Fifties which are known to have no Bladder, ought to have one very large. The Figure of the Bladder of our Tortotfe was altogether as extraordinary as its greatnefs. It was made in the fliape of a Gutt, and its Neck was not at one of the ends, but at the middle; which does indifferently well reprefent the Membranx Almtoides of the F&tus of moft Brutes. This Figure is very different from the Figure of the Cheftnut which gives it: It had two Foot in length.Its fituation was Tranfverfe,going from one of the Flanks to the other. Its Exteriour Ttmicle was Membranous; The Interiour was [Lengthened by an infinite number of flefhy Fibres embofted, which were croffed and interlaced one within the other, imitating thole which are feen on the infide of the Auricles of the Heart: Tliefe Fibres had their Origine to¬ wards the Neck, and difperfed themfelves thro’ the whole extent of the Blad- der.The ufe of thele Fibres is without doubt like that of the Fibres of the Au¬ ricles of the Heart, where they do ferve to ftraiten and contraQ: their Cavity, for preffmg out what they contain. For the Tortoije not having like other Animals, a Belly flexible, and garnifht with Mufcies which might com- prefs the Bladder, this part ought to have in it felf a particular Principal of Compreffion, by the means of which it might difeharge it felf of what it contains. The Neck of the Bladder was an Inch in length and as much in breadth. It was faftned towards the middle of the Reltum, into which the Urine was dif- charged by a little Aperture or Oblique Ductus feven or eight Inches from the Amis. Within this Neck there was four little Teats, the two greateft of which were the Extremities of the Vuf/i Spermatic a Defers mix: They were I i about