nothing by his own Principles. He also calls ano ther Affertion of Dr Falconet's a chimerical Thing, viz. That when a Woman is near her Time, all the Veffels of the Womb are preffed by the Body of the Child, which deprivés him, of his Nourifhment, by drying up the Veins of the Placenta. He confutes that Aertion by feveral Reasons and Expe fiments, which we fhall not infert here, becaufe the narrow Bounds of our Extracts do not allow of it.

Dr. Falconer pretends, That the Mother's Blood is not proper for the Nourishment of the Child, and that a milky Liquor fits him better. Mr. Mery maintains the contrary, and proves it in the following manner. "When a Child is born, he only fucks "his Mother's Milk: That Milk is changed into Chyle in his Stomach; and then that Chyle being conveyed into the left Vena Subclavia, where it mixes with the Blood, is converted into its Nature. Lastly, the Blood is diftributed through the "Arteries to all the Parts for their Nourishment:

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From whence it ought to be inferred, that the Mother's Blood is much more proper to nourish "the Fatus, than the pretended Milk of the Womb, "fince the Blood is in both of them the immediate "Nourishment of the Parts, and does not want to

undergo feveral Changes which the uterine Milk fhould go through before it could nourish them. The Author alledges the Obfervations which he made in the Royal Academy of Sciences, and which have been inferted in the Memoirs. "By taking off the Placenta from the Bottom of the Womb, I, fhewed (fays he) “to that Illuftrious Affembly,

1. That the Surfaces by which those two Parts are joined together, are deftitute of Membranes.

2. That their Veffels are open in thofe two Surfaces.

"3. That

1

3. That the Body of the Womb is a hollow *Muscle.

"4. That it has no Glands.

"From whence then (fays Mr. Mery) could that milky Juice come, which the Fatus receives " from the Womb, according to Dr. Falconet? "Not one Drop came out, when I fqueezed the "Womb and the Placenta; and confequently Dr. "Falconet fhould not affirm that it is very plentiful. "'Tis plain (fays the Author in another Place,) "that he never examined the Placenta of a Child, nor the Womb of a Woman, who died after her "Delivery. "

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In the Hiftory of the Academy of Sciences, Mr. Mery mentions a Woman with Child, who loft her Life by great Fall, and whofe Veffels, and alfo thofe of her Child were found deftitute of Blood. Which feems to prove that there is a mutual Circulation between the Mother's Blood and that of the Fatus, fince the Lofs of the one occafion'd, the Lofs of the other. Dr. Falconet was not convinced by an Experiment attelted by Mr. Mery. He afcribes that Event to other Caufes, which he explains in his Thefis. He maintains, That an uncertain Experiment, which cannot be renewed at all times, and which may arise from many extraneous Caufes, cannot prevail above an Experiment which he made upon a Bitch with young; an Experiment (fays he) which every Body can make, and the truth whereof may be demonftrated at any time! Mr. Mery anfwers, That he has had no Occafion to maké fuch an Experiment, and that comparative Anatomy can he ver be depended upon. He adds, That he has been informed by a Friend of Dr. Falconet's, that he him felf had not made that Experiment, and that he got a Scholar to make it for him. What is furprising, is, That the Thing is neither very difficult nor extra ordinary. We do not pretend to give our Judg

ment

ment about this Subject: We only invite the Publick to examine thoroughly a Queftion, that is worthy of their Curiofi y.

A

ARTICLE LXIX.

PARI S.

BOOK concerning the Knights of Malta, compofed from the Memoirs of a Knight of that Order, has been lately published.

Inftructions fur les principaux devoirs des Chevaliers de Malte, dreffées par l'Auteur du Catechifme de Montpellier, fur les Memoirs d'un Chevalier de Malte: à Tufage des Chevaliers, de leurs Confeffeurs, & de tous ceux qui veulent entrer ou faire entrer leurs enfans dans cet Ordre où l'on trouvera des veritez importantes pour toutes fortes d'états. Paris 1712. in 12mo. pagg. 377.

The

This Book is divided into XIII Chapters. Ift contains a general Notion of the Knights of Mal ta. The Ild treats of the Origin of that Order, and of the Usefulness of Military Orders in general. The IIId fhews what Sort of Men may be admit ted Knights of Malta, and the different Ages of their Admiffion, In the IVth, the Author explains the Nature of Commanderies, (and fhews how they are to be received and adminiftred. The Vth concerns this Question, Whether it be lawful to fell or to buy a Commandery. A general Notion of the Du. ties of all thofe, who belong to the Order of Malta,

is

is to be found in the VIth Chapter. The regular Profeffion of the Knights, makes the Subject of the VIIth. In the VIIIth, IXth, and Xth, the Author en larges upon the Vows of the Knights of Malta, and fhews how they may be performed. The XIth treats of the regular Habit, which the profefs'd Knights ought to wear at all Times. The Two laft Chapters concern the Profeffion of Arms of the Knights of Malta, and fhew upon what Occafion they may be allowed to serve in the Armies of Chriftian Princes, and what is to be obferved in order to be admitted a Knight.

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The Author inveighs against the diffolution of fome Knights, and mentions a Statute of Raimond du Puy, which, in all Probability, was never put in Execu tion. If any of them (fays that great Mafter) happens to be guilty of Fornication, and if it be a ડે private Sin, he fhall make a private Penance for it, which fhall be laid upon him in Proportion to his "Fault. But if it be a publick Sin, he fhall be pu"nifhed publickly. To that End, upon a Sunday, "when the People are gone out of the Church, in "that Place where the Sin has been committed, the "Criminal fhall be ftrip'd befote every Body, and "feverly whip'd and lafh'd with Straps and Rods, by "the Superior Mafter, or by fome Brother appointed "by the Great Mafter; and then he fhall be expelled "from the Order.

L

T

A Friend of the late Mr. Thiers has undertaken to vindicate his Differtation concerning the Place where lies the Body of St. Firmin Confeffor. He brings in upon the Stage the Ghoft of Mr. Thiers, making heavy Complaints against Mr. Leftocq.

L'Ombre de M. Thiers, ou Reponse à la Differtation de M. Leftocq fur la Tranflation de S. Firmin le Confeffeur, troifieme Eveque d'Amiens, avec une Critique de la vie de St Salve, auffi Eveque de la meme ville. Liege (or rather Part) 1712. in 12mo. Pagg. 227. Vol. IV.

E e

Mr.

Mr, Thiers's Ghoft fays, " That as foon as Father "Mabillon faw the Catacombe *. he was fully per"fuaded that it contained the Graves of the firft Bi"flops of Amiens; and when he went down into "it, he faid, he must pull off his Shoes, because he “was treading upon holy Ground. He lay with great Devotion upon the Tomb of St. Firmin Con"feffor, and faid, the Name engraved upon it was plainly that of the holy Bishop, and that no Doubt could be made of it.

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*Viz. In the Abby of St. Achëul at Amiens.

ARTICLE LXX.

DE LITERIS INVENTIS Libri Sex. Ad Illuftriffimum Principem TноMAM HERBERTUM Pembrokiæ Comitem, &c. Autore GULIELMO NICOLS, A. M. Londini. Apud Henricum Clementem Bibliopolam, ad Infigne Lunæ Falcatæ, in Cemeterio D. Pauli. M DCC XI.

That is,

A POEM concerning the INVENTION OF LETTERS in Six Books. InScribed