I. SEMINAL VERMICULI. te 
has been obferved and is mentioned in the firft 
chapter, For after expofure to the air, their 
motion, which before was quick, becomes much 
more languid ; and its greateft rapidity is when 
the femen comes from the animal’s body, which, 
as I have already faid, was remarked by Leeu- 
wenhoeck. 
Buffon fays, he obferved the phenomena three 
or four days after the femen came from the 
animal, even on the eighth day in that of the rab- 
bit. This muft be impoffible, becaufe the vermi- 
culi living longeft, as thofe of the human femen, 
which were examined by M. de Buffon, can- 
not exift above feven or eight hours in the open 
air. When fecured againft the influence of air, 
in glafs tubes hermetically fealed, they do not fur- 
viye three days, as we fhall afterwards fee. Thus 
it is certain, that the phenomena which the au- 
thor obferved in his experiments could be exe 
hibited by none but the animalcula originating 
in the feminal fluids when on the verge of cor- 
ruption, or when they do corrupt, as fucceeds in 
ether liquids that will corrupt, or are already 
gorrupted. 
I cannot fupprefs my furprife, that the celee 
brated French author never doubted, whether 
the animated beings which he beheld in femen 
were really fpermatic vermiculi, or only animal- 
cula originating there, that is, infufion animalcu- 
la, Thefe animals, he well knew, originate no 
lefs 
