220
Reflections upon
Reins, the Intestines, the Glands of the Mesentery, and the Instruments of Generation of both Sexes; in the Anatomical Knowledge of all which Parts, the Ancients were exceedingly defective.
The Coats of the Stomach have been separated, and the several Fibres of the middle Coat examined by Dr. Willis (l)(l) Pharmaceut. Rational. with more Exactness than formerly; he also has been very nice in tracing the Blood-Vessels and Nerves that run amongst the Coats, has evidently shewn that its Inside is covered with a glandulous Coat, whose Glands separate that Mucilage; which both preserves the Fibres from being injured by the Aliments which the Stomach receives, and concurrs with the Spittle to further the Digestion there performed; and has given a very particular Account of all those several Rows of Fibres, which compose the musculous Coat: To which if we add Steno's Discovery of the Fibres of the musculous Coat of the Gullet, that they are spiral in a double Order, one ascending, the other descending, which run contrary Courses, and mutually cross each other in every Winding; with Dr. Cole's (m)(m) Philos. Trans. numb. 125. Discovery of the Nature of the Fibres of the Intestines, that they also move spirally, though not, perhaps, in a contrary Or-der,
