An Anatomical Account of a Child's Head, Born without a Brain in October Last, 1698. By Mons. Bussiere

The Germination of Bony Fibres, after any Peccant Matter has destroy'd some of them, and relaxt others, is no more surprising, than the Fleshy Inequalities we commonly meet with in hollow Ulcers, of the softer Parts, as in the Membranes, Muscles, Glands, &c. Besides the Inequalities on the Surfaces of Bones thus affected, and their being very much distended, I have frequently seen divers large holes in them; (besides those for the Transit of the Blood-Vessels) some of which have past quite through them: The like has been observed in both Tables of the Skull, as M. Dupre has taken notice, where part of the Bone has been dissolved into an Ichorous Matter, which sometimes has happened, and the External Teguments not been injured; of both these Cases I have mentioned Examples in the 93d Table, and in my Introduction to the Anatomy of Humane Bodies lately published. VII. An Anatomical Account of a Child's Head, Born without a Brain in October last, 1698. By Mons. Bussiere. A French Woman living at Dung-hill, of a good Complexion, and in perfect Health during all the time of her being with Child, was then brought to Bed of a Boy, as big and tall as a Child can be in that Age, well shap'd in his Body, and Limbs very sound, without the least mark of Corruption, except that his Eyes did look as if they had been placed at the top of the Forehead; the Skull was unequal, the skin whereof, whereof, though full of Hair, was a little redder than the rest of the Body. The Midwife said, the Child came alive out of the Uterus; but tho' we cannot trust such Report, yet, 'tis certain, the Mother affureth, that she felt him stirring very often, but chiefly an Hour before she was taken ill for her Delivery, he was so troublesome to her by his Motion, that she could find no ease and quiet, but by her Husbands keeping his Hands fast upon her Belly, who affirmeth he felt plainly the Child's motions; and indeed the good Condition of this Child's Body, is methinks, sufficient enough to prove, that he was alive in the Belly of his Mother. I was sent for to open this Child's Head, and here is what was found in it. The Skin which did cover the Skull being taken off, the Coronalis-bone did appear lying flat upon the Sphenoides-bone, which was the Cause the Eyes did look, as if they had been at the top of the Forehead, The Squamosa part of the Temporal Bones was wanting, there being but the Os Petrosum, which was in its natural place, and in which the Organs of the sense of hearing were in the ordinary Order. There was no Parietal Bones, nor any thing equivalent, which likely was the Cause that the Coronal Bone, was set upon the Sphenoides. Of the Occipital Bone, there was but the Basis which joineth to the Sphenoides, in the middle whereof was the great hole, through which the Medulla oblongata commonly pasleth, all the upper part of this Bone being wanting, without any mark of having been corroded or gnawn, the edges of which were very smooth. All the upper part of the Bones of the Skull being wanting; the Skin had no other support but its basis, which was the reason why the top of the Head was very unequal and rough. No Brain at all was found, nor any mark in the whole extent of the Skull, that there had been any, there being no space left between the Basis of the Skull and the Skin to contain it; there was no Dura mater neither, the Bones being covered only with a very thin Membrane. Neither the Carotides, nor the Vertebræ Arteries did penetrate the Skull, but by small Twigs, spread in the thin Membrane. I did take off the Three upper Vertebra's of the Neck; before I could find the Medulla Spinalis, the beginning of it being under the Fourth Vertebra, like a small stump wrap'd up in the Dura mater; the Medulla was very found, and not bigger than it is in other Bodies of that Age; all the Nerves which parted from it were in their Natural Order. The Eyes were well shap'd, and all the Parts belonging to them, every one of their Muscles were furnished with the ordinary Nerves, the 3d, 4th, 5th, and 6th pair, and the Optick were in their natural Situation. All these Nerves did terminate themselves in the holes of the Skull, through which they commonly pass, they did reach no further, nor had any Communication with any other. All the Parts of the Face were natural, with their Muscles and Nerves; the Tongue was very fresh, and doubtless had performed the Deglutition to make the Child swallow the Colliquamentum, of which there was a good quantity in his Stomach. The Larinx, and all the parts of the Throat were as the rest of the Body, in a good and natural Condition as can be. I leave to others to explain how this Child could live, and move so long, without Brain. I keep the Bones of that Skull in my House, where any Body may have a view of it, to satisfy their Curiosity, when they please. VIII. Part of a Letter from Mons. Geoffroy, F.R.S. Dated Paris, March 7. 1699. N.S. to Dr. Sloane, giving an Account of the New Regulations of the Royal Academy of Sciences, at Paris. I shall here give you an Account of the great Splendour that the Academie des Sciences has Received by the Regulations, Incouragement, and Orders, Mons. L'abbe Bignon has obtained to it from the King. That Academy is now composed of Ten honorary Academicians, which are chosen Learned and Eminent Gentlemen; of Eight Strangers associates, which are distinguished by their Learning; Twenty Pensioners Fellows, Twenty Eleves, and Twelve French Associates; out of the honorary Academicians, two are Elected every Year, one for President, the other for Vice-President; only Twenty Pensioners have every Year 1500 French Livres; and after the Death of one Pensioner, the Academy will propose to the King Three Persons Associates, or Eleves, or sometimes others; and his Majesty will call one of the Three for Pensioner. Here is the Catalogue of the Academicians, the Names of honorary and Strangers Associates, who are disposed by order of Reception; but the others are distributed into Classes, into which the Academy is divided. Academiciens