McCintic McClintoc

[David Morris]

http://www.database.com/~lemur/dm-vaucanson-flute-english.html

Mr. VAUCANSON'S Letter to the ABBE De Fontaine

"My second Machine, or Automaton, is a Duck, in which I
represent the Mechanism of the Intestines which are em-
ployed in the Operations of Eating, Drinking, and Digestion:
Wherein the Working of all the Parts necessary for those Ac-
tions is exactly imitated. The Duck stretches out its Neck to
take Corn out of your Hand; it swallows it, digests it, and dis-
charges it digested by the usual Passage. You see all the Actions
of a Duck that swallows greedily, and doubles the Swiftness in
the Motion of its Neck and Throat or Gullet to drive the Food
into its Stomach, copied from Nature: The Food is digested as in
real Animals, by Dissolution, not Trituration, as some natural
Philosophers will have it. But this I shall treat of, and shew,
upon another Occasion.

The Matter digested in the Stomach is conducted by Pipes, (as
in an Animal by the Guts) quite to the Anus, where there is
a Sphincter that lets it out."

....

"This Machine, when once wound up, performs all its different
Operations without being touch'd any more.

I forgot to tell you, that the Duck drinks, plays in the Water
with his Bill, and makes a gugling Noise like a real living Duck.
In short, I have endeavor'd to make it imitate all the Actions of
the living Animal, which I have consider'd very attentively."



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