very narrowly, and were
frequently call'd, could never perceive any other Motion than that which
attended the Mother's turning from one side to the other; for then the
Lump fell to the side upon which she lay.

During this space of time, which was Twenty five Years and some Months,
this Woman had several fits of Sickness, and at last died of a
continual Fever, in _January_ 1678, being in the Sixty second Year of
her Age.

The next Day after she was Dead, Mr. _Cortade_, open'd her Corps, in the
presence of Monsieurs _Gaillart_, _Baile_, _Laborde_ and _Grangeron_ all
famous Physicians; and of Mr. _Labat_ and _Corboneau_, two noted
Anatomists. Having cut up the Muscles, and the _Peritonaeum_, they found
the Cawl schirous, and somewhat carnous, and about two Fingers breadth
thick. 'Twas stretched over the Mass they sought for and adher'd to it.
When they lifted it up, they turn'd over the whole Heap, towards the
Breast of the Deceas'd Person, and then they had some Apprehension that
the shapeless Mass was a Child: At first View they doubted it, because
'twas found out of the Womb, but their Doubts were quickly dispell'd,
when they put a Knife into it and felt the Bones, and saw Nails and
Toes upon one of the Feet, that they separated from the Mass.

Before they meddled further with the Mass, they had a mind to see what
Condition the parts of the _Abdomen_ were in, and particularly the Womb,
upon which they found a Body, which being hard like a Stone, enclos'd a
great Ulcer that spread its self over the Bottom of the Womb. Upon the
Womb side it had a Cavity full of white and thick _Pus_, without any
noisome Smell. On the Opposite Side 'twas hollow, and resembled the
convex Side of an Oister. The rest of the Womb was in its Natural State,
and they met with no considerable Accident in the Neighbouring parts.

They cut out the Mass, and carried it to the Surgeon's House, to be
view'd at their leisure. The whole Mass was encompass'd with a callous
Matter, under which they found all the Parts of a Child harden'd and
half putrified; and these weigh'd Eight Pound. They cut up all the
_Viscera_ in the three Cavities, the particulars whereof may be read in
Mr. _Baile_'s Book of Anatomy. This is the Account given by Mr. _Baile_.
I come now to extraordinary Conceptions.

Some Authors affirm, that a young Man having spilt some Seed in a Bath,
a Girl afterwards Bathing in the same Water, the Seed was suck'd in by
the Girls Womb, and