no THE ORIGIN OF 



This opinion well considered, though after- 

 ward adopted by Van-Phelsum{52) and by J.n- 

 divj/\^cS) IS subject to all the objections advanced 

 ])y the physiologists and naturalists, who have 

 proved by facts, how destitute of reason is it, par- 

 ticularly when applied to the universal generation 

 of oviparous and viviparous animals. The worms 

 found in fetuses and infants not yet come to the 

 full term of gestalion(54') leave no doubt that the 

 seed of the worm is communicated to the fetus from 

 the mother, wliether she may have contracted it 

 from her parents, or swallowed it accidentally with 

 the substances taken for her daily food. If, by 

 means of the placenta, the motht;r transmits to her 

 offspiiug the matter which uourisiies it and causes 

 its growth, why may she not also transmit to it the 

 seeds of the worms which are included in very 

 small germs(a5) and which circulate in her fluids? 



Are not the personal qualities of the mind, and 

 the peculiarities of the features, or those of her 

 family, in like manner transmitted ?(^6) 



Besides, the Avorms observed in the umbilical 

 cord cf the fetus,(57) in the uterus(58) and even 

 in the placenta,(59) as well as the disposition to 

 worms in the sons, mother and grandmother, re- 

 marked by llospu stein. (60) evidently prove that 

 the seeds of worms may be transmitted, not only 

 from the mother to the fetus, but also developed 

 in the parts contiguous to the route of commu- 

 nication. 



