wrapping fheet, that inclofes all the bowels contained in the lower belly* 7. The Spleen alfo is confined to its place by an adhesion to the peritoneum and diaphragm, and by a connection with the omentum t. It is poffible, in my opinion, that the spleen may be merely a stuffing, a foft cushion to fill up a vacancy or hollow, which unless occupied, would leave the package loose and unfteady for fuppofing that it answers no other purpose than this, it must be vascular, and admit of a circulation through it, in order to be kept alive, or be a part of a living body. 8. The omentum, epiploon, or cawl, is an apron, tucked up, or doubling upon itself, at its lowest part. The upper edge is tied to the bottom of the stomach, to the spleen, as hath already been observed, and to part of the duodenum. The reflected edge, alfo, after forming the doubling, comes up behind the front flap, and is tied to the colon and adjoining vifcerat. 9. The fepta of the brain, probably, prevent one part of that organ from preffing with * Keill's Anat. p. 57. +Ib. p. 149. Р too too great a weight upon another part. The proceffes of the dura mater divide the cavity of the fkull, like fo many inner partition walls; and, thereby, confine each hemifphere and lobe of the brain to the chamber which is affigned to it, without its being liable to rest upon, or intermix with, the neighbouring parts. The great art and caution of packing, is to prevent one thing hurting another. This, in the head, the cheft, and the abdomen, of an animal body, is, amongst other methods, provided for, by membranous partitions and wrappings, which keep the parts separate. THE ABOVE may serve as a short account of the manner, in which the principal viscera are sustained in their places. But, of the provifions for this purpose, by far, in my opinion, the most curious, and where also fuch a provifion was most wanted, is in the guts. It is pretty evident, that a long narrow tube (in man about five times the length of the body) laid from fide to fide in folds upon one another, winding in oblique and circuitous directions, compofed also of a soft and yielding substance, muft, without fome extraordinary precaution for its safety, be continually displaced by the various, sudden, and abrupt motions of the body which contains it. I fhould expect that, if not bruised or wounded by every fall, or leap, or twift, it would be entangled, or be involved with itfelf; or, at the leaft, flipped and fhaken out of the order in which it is dif pofed, and which order is neceffary to be preserved for the carrying on of the important functions, which it has to execute in the animal œconomy. Let us fee therefore how a dan¬ ger fo ferious, and yet fo natural to the length, narrowness, and tubular form of the part, is provided againft. The expedient is admirable, and it is this. The inteftinal canal throughout its whole procefs, is knit to the edge of a broad fat membrane, called the mefentery. It forms the margin of this mesentery, being ftitched and faftened to it like the edging of a ruffle; being four times as long as the mefentery itself, it is, what would call," gathered on" to it, nature of the connection of the mefentery; and, being thus joined to, or rather made a part of the mefentery, it is folded and wrapped up together with it. Now the mefentery, having a confiderable dimenfion in breadth, being in its fubftance, withal, both thick and fuety, is capable of a close and safe folding P 2 a fempstress This is the gut with the folding, in comparison of what the intestinal tube would admit of, if it had remained loofe. The mefentery likewise not only keeps the intestinal canal in its proper place and position under all the turns and windings of its course, but fuftains the numberlefs fmall vessels, the arteries, the veins, the lympheducts, and, above all, the lacteals, which lead from or to almost every point of its coats and cavity. This membrane, which appears to be the great fupport and fecurity of the alimentary apparatus, is itself strongly tied to the first three vertebræ of the loins *. III. A third general property of animal forms is beauty. I do not mean relative beauty, or that of one individual above another of the fame fpecies, or of one fpecies compared with another fpecies; but I mean, generally, the provision which is made, in the body of almost every animal, to adapt its appearance to the perception of the animals with which it converses. In our own fpecies, for example, only confider what the parts and materials are, of which the faireft body is compofed; and no further obfervation will be Keill's Anat. p. 45. neceffary neceffary to fhew, how well these things are wrapped up, fo as to form a mass, which shall be capable of fymmetry in its proportion, and of beauty in its afpect; how the bones are covered, the bowels concealed, the roughneffes of the muscles fmoothed and foftened; and how over the whole is drawn an integument, which converts the disgusting materials of a diffecting-room into an object of attraction to the fight, or one, upon which it rests, at least with ease and fatisfaction. Much of this effect is to be attributed to the intervention of the cellular or adipofe membrane, which lies immediately under the skin; is a kind of lining to it; is moist, foft, flippery, and compreffible; every where filling up the interstices of the muscles, and forming thereby their roundnefs and flowing line, as well as the evenness and polish of the whole furface. All which feems to be a strong indication of defign, and of a design ftudiously directed to this purpose. And it being once allowed, that fuch a purpose existed with respect to any of the productions of nature, we may refer, with a confiderable degree of probability, other particulars to the fame intention; such as the teints of flowers, the plumage of birds, the P 3 furs |