e . SEMINAL VERMICULI. - Th. 
lefs in animal than in vegetable infufions when 
beginning to'corrupt; for he fays, that in two 
infufions, one made with the tefticles of a ram 
in water, and the other with thofe of a dog, he, 
in fome days, found living animals fimilar to 
what he had feen in the femen of animals: that 
is, globular or ovular, without tails, moving with 
great activity, and often changing their fhape(1). 
If the animalcula of the two infufions were ex- 
actly fimilar to thofe he had obferved in feminal 
fluids, how did he not fufpect, that inftead of be- 
ing fpermatic vermiculi, they might be infufion 
animalcula? He had additional reafon to think 
fo, for he muft have remarked that the changes 
of figure, divifions, diminutions of fize, were not 
to be feen in recent femen, but in that kept fome 
time, and about to corrupt. Of this he muft have 
had certain indications, and an indubitable proof, 
from the foetid and cadaverous odour which 
the femen then exhaies, which alfo, is convincing 
evidence that animalcula are produced in it on 
account of its putrefcence; confequently that we 
cannot confound them with feminal vermiculi. 
Another precaution might have occurred, and fav- 
ed him from error, had he chofe to adoptit, name- 
ly, to examine the bottom of the feminal fluid’ 
and not the furface alone.. There he would have 
found 
{1) Hiftoir, Natur. tom. 3. 
