Sect. XXXIX. 7.7. GENERATION. 4 1 5 



This living filament from the father is alfo liable to have its 

 propenfities, or appetencies, altered at the time of its production 

 by the imagination of the male parent ; the extremities of the 

 feminal glands imitating the motions of the organs of fenfe ; 

 and thus the fex of the embryon is produced j which may be 

 thus made a male or a female by affecting the imagination of 

 the father at the time of impregnation. See Sect. XXXIX. 6. 

 3. and 7. 



7. After the fetus is thus completely formed together with 

 its umbilical veffels and placenta, it is now fupplied with a dif- 

 ferent kind of food, as appears by the difference of confiftency 

 of the different parts of the white of the egg, and of the liquor 

 amnii, for it has now acquired organs for digeftion or fecretion, 

 and for oxygenation, though they are as yet feeble ; which can 

 in fome degree change, as well as felect the nutritive particles, 

 which are now prefented to it. But may yet be affected by the 

 deficiency of the quantity of nutrition fupplied by the mother, 

 or by the degree of oxygenation fupplied to its placenta by the 

 maternal blood. 



The augmentation of the complete fetus by additional particles 

 of nutriment is not accomplifhed by diftention only, but by ap- 

 portion to every part both external and internal ; each of which 

 acquires by animal appetencies the new addition of the particles 

 which it wants. And hence the enlarged parts are kept fimilar 

 to their prototypes, and may be faid to be extended ; but their 

 extenfion muft be conceived only as a neceffary confequence of 

 the enlargement of all their parts by apportion of new particles. 



Hence the new appofition of parts is not produced by capilla- 

 ry attraction, becaufe the whole is extended ; whereas capillary 

 attraction would rather tend to bring the fides of flexible tubes 

 together, and not to diftend them. Nor is it produced by 

 chemical affinities, for then a folution of continuity would fuc- 

 ceed, as when fugar is diffolved in water ; but it is produced by 

 an animal procefs, which is the confequence of irritation, or 

 fenfation ; and which may be termed animal appetency. 



This is further evinced from experiments, which have been 

 inftituted to fhew, that a living mufcle of an animal body re- 

 quires greater force to break it, than a fimilar mufcle of a dead 

 body. Which evinces, that befides the attraction of cohefion, 

 which all matter poffeffes, and befides the chemical attractions 

 of affinities, which hold many bodies together, there is an ani- 

 mal adhefion, which adds vigour to theie common laws of the 

 inanimate world. 



8. At the nativity of the child it depofits the placenta or 

 plls, and by expanding its lungs acquires more plentiful oxyge- 

 nation 



