ur
educators. During the last few years many schools have introduced into
their curriculum, courses in domestic science, including the purchasing,
preparation and serving of food. Very recently some of the more
progressive schools have introduced courses in nursing and the care of
young babies. Perhaps in a few years motherhood will take its proper
place as the most important of all sciences.

CHAPTER VIII

EMBRYOLOGY--THE DEVELOPMENT OF LIFE

You remember I mentioned that at various times during the month an ovum
or egg leaves the ovary and passes along the tube to the uterus. Here it
remains if it is impregnated or fertilized by a union with the
spermatozoon or male element. The whole body of the babe is developed
from the ovum or female element after it has been fertilized by the
spermatozoon or male element. The union usually takes place in the tube.
The spermatozoon, after being deposited in the vagina, travels to the
mouth of the womb, then up through the womb into one of the tubes. Here
it meets the ovum and unites with it, then the impregnated ovum
continues on its way to the uterus. It attaches itself to the lining of
the womb by little thread-like filaments which it projects. The ovum
then begins to grow, dividing itself into portions that go to make the
different parts of the body. Before I continue, let me remind you that
the ovum in the beginning is only about as large as the point of a pin,
being about 1-125 of an inch in diameter, while the spermatozoon is so
tiny it cannot be seen without the aid of a miscroscope. Therefore, it
can be realized how much the ovum has to grow before it becomes a fully
formed babe.

During the time the ovum is developing into the babe we speak of it
first as the embryo, then the foetus. It takes about nine calendar
months or ten lunar months before the foetus is fully developed and
ready to be expelled from the womb. During the process of development
the foetus resembles various animals. It seems it must pass through
about the same stages of evolution that our primitive ancestors did.

By the end of the third week, the dividing has progressed so far that
the body is quite well indicated. By the end of the seventh week the
body and limbs are quite well defined. One peculiar thing is that, at
this time, the foetus has a tail which disappears during the next two
weeks. During the third month the foetus increases in size and weight
so that by the end of the month t