It is easy from the foregoing considerations to account for the rapidity which characterizes the growth of the fœtus; a rapidity which is manifestly out of all proportion with that which takes place at any other age. Indeed, while every thing is in favour of the progression of the nutritive matter towards the parts where it is destined to be put down, every thing at the same time seems to oblige such matter to remain in the place where it has been deposited, the emunctories of the system being wanting.
To the great simplicity of assimilation in the fœtus, we may add the great activity of the organs which contribute to it an activity, which depends upon the more considerable sum of vital power which they then partake. All the powers of the economy, indeed, appear to be concentrated upon the system of the circulation and nutrition; the functions of digestion, respiration, secretion and exhalation, are exercised but obscurely.[49]
If we now observe that the organs of the animal life, which are condemned to a necessary inaction, are the seat at the same time of a very small portion only of vital power (the surplus of this being thrown upon the organic life) it will be easy to perceive, that almost the whole of the powers which are afterwards to be developed upon the two systems in general, will be then concentrated upon those which serve to nourish and compose the different parts of the fœtus, and that in consequence the functions which concur to the process of nutrition and growth, must at that age be the seat of an extreme energy.
II. Development of the organic life after birth.
Immediately after birth, the organic life of the child has a great addition made to it; its extent is almost doubled, for not only are many of the functions which did not before exist at such time added, but those which existed previously are much enlarged. Now in this remarkable revolution of things, a law directly the contrary of that which presides over the animal life is observed; for the organs of this life, whether they be newly brought into exercise, or simply receive an increase of action, need no education; they suddenly attain to a perfection, which those of the animal life do not acquire, otherwise than by long habitude. A rapid glance upon the development of this life, will be sufficient to convince us of the truth of the above observation.
At the instant of birth, digestion and respiration, with a great part of the exhalations and absorptions commence. Now after the first inspirations and expirations; after the elaboration in the stomach of the first milk, which is taken in by the infant, as soon as the exhalants of the lungs and the skin have once rejected some small portions of their respective fluids, the respiratory, the digestive and exhalant organs, have as perfect an action as they ever will have.
At the same time all the glands, which slept as it were, which poured forth but a very small quantity of fluid, are awakened from their torpor by the stimuli of the various substances which are applied to the mouths of their excretory ducts. The passage of the milk at the extremities of the stenonian and wartonian ducts, of the chyme at the end of the choledochus and the pancreatic duct, the contact of air with the orifice of the urethra, awaken into action the salivary glands, the pancreas, the liver, and the kidneys. The air in like manner upon the inner surface of the trachea and the nostrils, and the aliments upon that of the digestive passages, are the excitants which rouse these parts into action.[50]
It is then also that begin the various excretions of the system: now if we examine well the different organs which concur to the above mentioned phenomena, we shall find that they require no sort of education.
I shall not inquire into the reason of this difference in the development of the two lives. I shall only observe that it is out of the power of any one of the inward organs, to acquire a marked degree of superiority over any other, for the same reason that they all of them attain, immediately upon entering into action, as great a perfection as at any time they are destined to possess.