64. SEMINAL VERMICULI: if. 
body, I inveltigated whether feminal vermiculi 
propagated in the fame manner, but there has been 
no indication of this. It is true, when they pafs 
from the animal’s body, or when the vermiculi be- 
gin to be in a morbid ftate, they are lefs fit for di- 
viding than when in their natural ftate in the femi- 
nal refervoirs when vigorous and full of life. J 
do not deny that this is poffible ; but admitting 
it was fo, it feems morally impoffible that, among 
fo many millions of vermiculi, which I have at 
different times obferved: among fo many fpe- 
cies, there was not one in a ftate to divide, or 
which did divide, as is feen with the animalcula 
of infufions. Neither have I obferved that ver- 
miculi propagate by buds or fhoots, like polypi. 
Therefore, abiding by the different modes af pro- 
pagation hitherto known, it would appear a proper 
conclufion, that feminal vermiculi multiply by 
means of a foetus, or of eggs; but I muft admit, 
that neither the one nor the other has been feen 
by me. 
I come to the laft queftion. What is the ufe 
of the vermiculif Leeuwenhoeck’s opinion is 
well known: He thinks they are the immediate 
authors of generation ; fo that thofe of man will 
be fo many homunculi; thofe of the bull, fo ma- 
ny vituli; thofe of the horfe, fo many foals; and 
thus of the reft. We cannot deny the idea is 
very ingenious: itis unfortunate that it is not 
real. 
