B. I.] THE HISTORY OP ANIMALS. 291 



2. Does this affection arise from a warm habit of body, 

 when the uterus is warm and dry, and for this reason capable 

 of drawing into itself in such a manner that it is taken up 

 and kept in it ? For, in persons so affected, if the seminal 

 fluid of both sexes is not united, but, like the barren egg, is 

 taken up by one sex, then the myle is produced, which 

 is not living creature, for it does not originate in both sexes, 

 nor is it lifeless, for it is taken to have life like the barren egg. 

 It remains, however, a long while, on account of the dispo 

 sition of the uterus, and because the bird, which has pro 

 duced many eggs in herself, when the uterus is stimulated 

 by these, goes and lays them : and when the first is pro 

 duced, the last will also come forth in proper time: for there 

 is nothing to prevent it, but the body being productive as 

 soon as it is full, causes the uterus to be no longer retentive. 

 But in viviparous animals, on account of the change of 

 force, as the fcetus increases, and the diversity of food is re 

 quired, the uterus causes parturition from a kind of inflam 

 mation. 



3. But the flesh, because it is not alive, always requires 

 the same kind of food, for it does not cause any weight 

 in the uterus, nor any inflammation. So that the affec 

 tion would continue, in some cases, throughout life, un 

 less some fortunate debility should take place, as in the 

 woman who was attacked with dysentery. But does this 

 affection arise from warmth, as it was said, or rather from a 

 fluid state, because there is a fulness as it closes, either 

 because the uterus is neither cold enough to reject it, nor 

 warm enough to bring it to maturity ? AVheretbre, the 

 disease lasts a long while, like those things which remaic 

 a long while before they are matured ; but those that are 

 about to come to maturity have an end, and that quickly. 

 Such uteri, being very high up, cause a long delay. And, 

 again, not being alive, it does not cause any pain by its 

 movements, for the movement of the ligament which the 

 living foetus produces, causes pain. And the hardness of 

 the substance is the effect of imperfect production, for it 

 is so hard that it cannot be cut by the stroke of an axe. 

 All ripe and mature things become soft, but imperfectly 

 digested things are immature and hard. 



4. Wherefore, many physicians, deceived by the 



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