A true history of a child anatomized, which remained twenty five years in his mothers belly with all those reflections which the phænomena of the same may explain : very serviceable and useful for all, especially physicians, chirurgeons, and midwives / by Nicolas de Blegny ... ; translated according to the approved and priviledged copy of Paris ; with copper plates.

A TRUE HISTORY OF A Child Anatomized: Which remained Twenty five Years in his Mothers Belly.

MArgaret Mathews, the Wife of John Pughet, Clothworker at Tho∣louse, after having happily brought forth into the World Ten Children in the latter part of the year 1652, found her self with child of the Eleventh; and at the

expiration of the Accusto∣mary Time, she felt the Pangs of Travel; the vehe∣mency of which forced her to betake her self to Bed: A Chirurgeon who was ac∣customed to Deliver Wo∣men, was fetched; who having visited her, told her and assured her, that there was no disposition or likeli∣hood of being Delivered at that time: Nevertheless the Pains continued and increa∣sed, and cruelly tormented her for the space of Two Months: In the mean time two of the most Renowned Doctors there, were advised

with it; who opening and prescribing Medicines, and acting what might be pos∣sibly done, could produce no other Effects, then some Clodders of Blood, forced out of the Matrix.

After this first time, she went near hand Three Months more with these troublesome, yet now more tollerable Pains, than the former, though notwith∣standing they were still ac∣companied with a continu∣al evacuation of a silthy, mattery Stuff. From that time she increased in her strength, and nothing more

did come forth from the Matrix; but she was, if she would enjoy any ease, con∣strained continually to lie upon her Back; for when she turned her self any other∣wise, her Burden caused her great Pains: In so much that she could, as it were, feel the Child remove it self. She continued in this condition Eighteen or Nineteen years, during which time, after the intermission of some Mo∣neths, she under-went such strong and extraordinary Pains, that oftentimes she earnestly intreats the Chirur∣geon to open her Belly, and

so take away that which was the Cause of her so great and miserable Pains.

Since the aforesaid first years, unto the year 1675, that same Burthen (which by its weight and greatness had so long tormented her) grew more tolerable and less trou∣blesome; being then grown fast and without any Mo∣tion.

Finally, The Seventeenth of June 1675, she was taken with a Fevor, which ended the Two and sixtieth year of her Age and her Misery, to∣gether. Next day the Body being opened, there was

found on the whole Bottom of the Matrix, a Body or Substance as hard as Stone; each side of this Substance, towards the Bottom, being hollow about the length of four Fingers, covering an Ulcer, Boil, or Sore of the same bigness; as may be seen by Figure 1: Excepting the Sore, the rest of the Ma∣trix was in its natural Form; as also all the lower parts of the Belly, the Cawl only excepted; which had acqui∣red about the thickness of two Fingers breadth a hard∣ness and a little fleshiness: These things considered, the

Cawl was laid upon the dead Corps, and then was espied a Deformed Lump, fast under the Cawl, which being seperated, represent∣ed the Figure N. 2: The out-side of it was nothing but a Crust, a large inch thick, and in some places more; this Crust was near as hard as a Gristle, of Colour a pale Yellow, excepting on that side of its joyning to the Cawl; where it was harder and something redder. Some Persons out of Curiosity, laid the same against the Fire, being of opinion that it would melt like Suet or

Tallow; and so after the melting there would remain a kind of a Film or Skin, with some Knobs, which appeared in divers places of the said substance: In the mean time, in this turning it about, there were seen some Signs of a Child, which was loosened and cut from it as dexterously as pos∣sibly; and at length a Child was discovered, and discern∣ed to be a Man Child; the Yard being found between the Film or Skin of the Groin: It was laid with its Head to the bottom of the Matrix, his right Hand in

the form of a Closed Fist, placed against the upper part of the Crown of his Head; his Breast against the Back∣bone of the Mother; his Back was on the side of the Cawl; the Feet were bowed upwards, so that they in part incompassed the Cir∣cumference of the Naval, as also some part of the left side of the neather part of the Belly: Some Harr was found upon the Eye-lids, the Eyes sunk in, the Film of the same wrinkled, the Nose flattish, the Lips grown over with a a Substance harder than that wherewith he had been in∣compassed;

and after the Gums were cut, there was there-under found Teeth near as great as of a full∣grown Child; under its right Arm, and by the right Ear, a small Lock, of yellow but very short Hair: The Nails of the Hands and Feet long, hard and raw the Flesh of the Neck, Groin, and the parts thereabouts, coloured with Blood; the Skull Bones separated from one another, and the Brains sunk down and almost of the Colour of Conserve of Roses; the in∣ward parts of the Breast and Belly were dried up and

blackish; the Muscles and Sinews of the lower parts had lost very little of their greatness, or of their natu∣ral force, otherwise then that the fleshy parts were White, Yellow, and a Dark Pale; the Knees a little part∣ed from one another; the left Foot a little bended, hiding the right Foot under it; the left Hand shut and pressed against the Chin and Knee of the same Side: Fi∣nally, All the Limbs, except∣ing the right Arm, were placed as they are in other Children in the Mothers Womb; which may ea∣sily

be discerned by the third Figure.

After it was stretched out, it was Fourteen Inches long, although the Back-bone re∣mained bent; being inward∣ly bowed towards the right Side.

All these things were pub∣lickly known and viewed in the City of Thoulouse, and according to the Order of the Court of Parliament of the said City proved and ve∣rified; where also may be seen the Testation of seve∣ral Credible Persons: More∣over, This Relation made

by me, is consonant and conform. Those Memori∣als to me sent from thence, and the Report I had from John Francis Pughet, Eldest Son and only Male, of the three Children of Margaret Matthews, who is yet alive, and brought us this Won∣der to a Publick View: So that now it only remains to examine the Natural Causes of so many Extraordinary Accidents.