An essay, or tract, on the vitality of the warm blood and air / by James Morison ; edited and republished by Elisha North.

  • James Morison
Date:
1835
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: An essay, or tract, on the vitality of the warm blood and air / by James Morison ; edited and republished by Elisha North. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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    an account of our formation, and of all similar animais in the womb of the mother.—From the moment that conception has taken place, a com- munication is established between the centre of the embryo or conception, and the blood of the mother. [This embryo is formed by ihe united vital action of the semen of the father and mother.] A drop or portion of the blood of the mother may be said to nestle, act, or grow, within said embryo, in a proper manner, to bring to perfection, by de- gress, the animal fruit. You may suppose this por- tion or drop of blood deposited in the embryo, and kept in circulation by the blood of the mother, somewhat like a person building his own town house or coveting, or a snail growing in its shell. By degress the [warm] blood forms this habitation or covering, for itself, which is called the body, going on progressively during nine months of pregnancy, perfecting and completing it, for the new world it is about to enter : this work is carried on by and from the [warm oxygenized] blood of the mother, introduced into the young infant, by means of the navel [and its apparatus,] which thus circulates in the infant in the womb, as blood does, in a great measure, after birth. At maturity, or at the ex- piration of nine months from conception, it has then completed its work or growth, and an infant is made, which is a receptacle or habitation for the blood to live in ever after—a work or organization, nearly or partially complete in all its organs or parts, but of which it has as yet made no inde- pendent use, because its body was supported and nourished by the blood of its mother. It has lungs but does not breathe,—a stomach, but neither eats nor digests,—bowels, but it has as yet no ex- crements, that is suitable to pass, [or to be eva- cuated.] The moment the new born infant sees the light all these (its organs) are put in motion by the Almighty breath of heaven—the air, by means