SECT. XXXIX. 7. i. GENERATION. 413 



would appear, that the phalli, which were hung round the necks 

 of the Roman ladies, or worn in their hair, might have effect 

 in producing a greater proportion of male children ; and that 

 the calipsedia, or art of begetting beautiful children, and of pro- 

 creating either males or females, may be taught by affecting the 

 imagination of the male-parent ; that is, by the fine extremities 

 of the feminal glands imitating the actions of the organs of fenfe 

 either of fight or touch. But the manner of accomplifhing this 

 cannot be unfolded with fufficient delicacy for the public eye \ 

 but may be worth the attention of thofe, who are ferioufly in- 

 tereited in the procreation of a male or female child. 



Recapitulation. 



VII. i. A certain quantity of nutritive particles are produ- 

 ced by the female parent before impregnation, which require 

 no further digeilion, fecretion, or oxygenation. Such are feen 

 in the unimpregnated eggs of birds, and in the unimpregnated 

 feed-vellels of vegetables. 



2. A living filament is produced by the male, which being 

 inferted amidit thefe firft nutritive particles, is ftimulated into 

 action by them ; and in confequence of this action, fome of the 

 nutritive particles are embraced, and added to the original liv- 

 ing filament ; in the fame manner as common nutrition is per- 

 formed in the adult animal. 



3. Then this new organization, or additional part, becomes 

 ftimulated by the nutritive particles in its vicinity, and fenfation 

 is now fuperadded to irritation ; and other particles are in con- 

 fequence embraced, and added to the living filament ; as is feen 

 in the new granulations of flefh in ulcers. 



By the power of affbciation, or by irritation, the parts already 

 produced continue their motions, and new ones are added by 

 fefifation, as above mentioned ; and laftly by volition, which 

 hit fenforial power is proved to exift in the fetus in its maturer 

 age, becaufe it has evidently periods of activity and of fleeping \ 

 which laft is another word for a temporary fufpenfion of volition. 



The original living filament may be conceived to poifefs a 

 power of repulfmg the particles applied to certain parts of it, as 

 well as of embracing others, which (limulate other parts of it ; 

 as thefe powers exili in different parts of the mature animal ; 

 thus the mouth of every gland embraces the particles of fluid, 

 which fuit its appetency ; and its excretory duc~l repulfes thofe 

 particles, which are difagreeable to it. 



4. Thus the outline or miniature of the new animal is pro- 

 duced gradually, but in no great length of time , becaufe the 



original 



