282 MAN --AN ADAPTIVE MECHANISM 



Though this explanation is wholly theoretical, it is 

 conceivable that the vomiting of pregnancy may be 

 due to the same cause as vomiting in acute infections 

 or during the absorption of foreign proteins. When the 

 body needs to split up and eliminate a foreign protein, 

 the kinetic system will more readily accomplish this 

 work if no more added food be taken, thus avoiding 

 the additional work of breaking down and eliminating 

 the amino acids derived from normal food. Thus, the 

 foreign proteins of the chemical invasion incident to 

 procreation (the fetus and placenta) may exert the 

 same influence as that exerted by the chemical in- 

 vasion in the form of bacteria. If the foreign pro- 

 teins in bacteria can cause active vomiting, why may 

 not the growing massive " foreign proteins" of preg- 

 nancy? We have some evidence to support such a 

 view in the fact that the moment the uterus is emptied, 

 the vomiting ceases ; or if the fetus dies, the vomiting 

 ceases. It has been offered as an explanation that the 

 vomiting is reflex and is due to a false position of the 

 uterus or to the mechanical expansion of the uterus 

 by the fetus. Against this, it may be pointed out 

 that mechanical pressure, false position, tension or 

 surgical dilatation of the normal uterus cause no nausea ; 

 and also that, as already stated, whatever the false 

 position of the uterus, death or expulsion of the fetus 

 at once ends vomiting. 



Since man is a transformer of energy, his unborn 

 offspring are also transformers of energy. If after his 

 birth man's further growth and maturity can occur 

 only through the activity of his kinetic system, we 

 have no reason to doubt that the growth in the uterus 



